


A Single Moment

by BumbleBooty



Category: Dead by Daylight (Video Game), Friday the 13th Series (Movies), Halloween Movies - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Growing Up Together, M/M, Mental Instability, Mental Institutions, childhood crush to adult relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-22
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2019-10-14 10:01:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17506481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumbleBooty/pseuds/BumbleBooty
Summary: How much difference can a single decision really make?





	1. Highway Exits and Those Who Help

**Author's Note:**

> In this, Jason isn't 11 years older than Michael. They're the same age, and everything else is based off that. 
> 
> For further clarification, Jason's lake accident is at 7, not 11.
> 
> Some of the extra characters are stolen from Dead By Daylight, because I love that game
> 
> If you'd like, check out this amazing artwork by Genderfreezone!  
> https://genderfreezone.tumblr.com/post/187952988242/yeah-im-a-sucker-for-aus-where-everyone-is-happy

Deborah sighed as she watched the streetlights pass, shifting every few seconds in her seat. Don glanced over to her every time she did, eventually reaching over to give her hand a soft squeeze. "You don't need to worry so much my love. Michael's always been a quiet boy, I'm certain he'll settle into school soon."

Deborah sighed again, with the weight of her soul bared to her husband. "I don't know if we should go out tonight Don. Michael... He's been so..." Don shook his head. "Debby, you've been strung so tight with him going into school, it'll be good for you to have a night where there's no stress. After all, Judith is there to watch them both!"

Deborah immediately rolled her head to look at her husband. "You know as well as I do that she's going to bring her boyfriend over." 

Don had to suppress his laughter as he purposefully stared straight ahead. Deborah eventually cracked a small smile as she looked back out the window. "It'll be alright love. It's  _one_ night. Judith will take them trick-or-treating, then you can enjoy our dinner reservation, we can go to the opera, and we can go home and watch 'The Thing' with Michael."

She stared out the window for a long moment, weighing her options in her mind. She nodded with an air of resignation. "You're right love... I have been stressed. But my baby needs me right now. He's not _alright_ Don." 

The aging man turned to look at his wife with pleading eyes. "Love, we've had this reservation for  _three months._ And the opera tickets were three hundred!" 

Deborah shook her head. "I know hun, but look me in the eyes and tell me you haven't been worried about Michael. He's  _never_ gone more than a day without talking to at _least_ Cynthia. It's been almost a  _week._ " 

Don shifted his gaze between the upcoming interstate exit and his wife before nodding silently and flicking on his turning signal. 

* * *

Michael sat quietly on the couch, running his fingers over the silk of his clown costume. His mother had laid it out for him before she had left with his father, and Judith had tried to take him trick-or-treating. 

He hadn't wanted to go, and ignored her as he sat on the couch. 

Eventually she had given up with a huff and left with Cynthia and his jack-o-lantern pail, promising to bring him a king's ransom in chocolate.

Michael stared blankly at the television, squeezing his eyes shut each time  _the thing_ started to creep across his vision. 

He distantly heard the front door click closed, along with his sister giggling as she led her boyfriend upstairs. 

The floor of Cynthia's room creaked as she was laid down to continue to sleep. 

He felt his head turn with a will not his own as his eyes locked on the no-no-knife, resting proudly in the block. 

He barely noticed when the sound of carpet transitioned to hardwood. 

He had to stretch to grab the handle, but the weight felt good in his hands. 

The Boyfriend's embarrassed laughter came down the stairs far too soon. 

Judith's laughter brought his mind to a sharpened focus. 

He stepped back into the living room just in time to watch the boyfriend leave, and  _the thing_ drew his eyes upwards. 

Judith's door was open. 

His grip tightened as his breath showed. 

One slow exhale, one slow inhale, one step at a time. 

Her skin was so pale. Why did her boyfriend like her naked so much? 

Her chastising _'M_ _ichael!'_ frightened him.

He brought the knife down once- twice-a third- a fourth-

 

 

He was yanked backward into stronger arms.

He dropped the knife as his breathing switched from calm to instantaneous hyperventilation with the contact. 

His mother pulled his mask off his face- when had he put it on?- as he realized he was crying. 

He felt how rigid his body was as his father rushed a newly-robed Judith downstairs.

The car peeled out of the driveway, but Michael still couldn't get the image of crimson on porcelain out of his head. 

His mother was warm, and Michael tried to focus on the rosy smell of her perfume instead of  _the thing_ twitching angerly in the corners of his eyes. He could hear its growling echoing throughout his head. 

When the firemen arrived, he didn't even look up. Not until the police lights made the red paint glimmer. 

When the officer turned his head, Michael blinked in surprise. 

His mother held back her tears as she joined him in the cop car.

Her nails scratching his scalp was soothing, as was the soft singing in his ear. 

He frowned slightly as they pulled up to a hospital he had never seen before. 

* * *

Don was terrified for his family. His son had been institutionalized and his eldest daughter was still in the hospital, on her third surgery to fix the puncture in her lung and the tear in her throat. 

His wife had called him to tell him of the specialist coming to see Michael in the morning, but for god's sake he was being put in maximum security until the psychologist came. 

He put his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees. 

He couldn't even think to process what might have happened if they had not come home...

What felt like an eternity later, he got to give his wife the good news of their daughter's survival. 

* * *

Michael was happy that his sister lived. His mother wasn't supposed to tell him that she did- Dr. Loomis was concerned about him having a relapse at the mention of her, but his mother didn't seem to like him and disobeyed him. She had whispered it to him when she had given him his latest goodbye hug. 

He didn't like the goodbye hugs.

He didn't _like_ being here, but he knew why he was. 

He was here because he was in trouble- that was why Dr. Loomis had been very intent on keeping him in his room.

He didn't like his room. It was quiet and cold at night, and his neighbor screamed at the top of his lungs at random intervals. 

Michael didn't want to be in there, but he disliked leaving it even more. 

It was lonely, and it was _scary_.

Comforts were few and far between, as what was allowed in his room was scarce at best.

Human comfort was even scarcer, as three people were the only ones to ever see him. The nurse who brought him food- all of which he can eat with his hands, served with a drink in a soft styrofoam cup-, the Doctor himself, and his mother for her weekly visits. Other than that, he saw no one. 

 _The Thing_ only grew more insistant as his inner turmoil grew, and Michael drew within himself even further in an attempt to ignore it. 

Loomis met with him every day, but he was too frightened to speak to him. His stare was too intense, and Michael found it hard to turn away from the ever-growing frown. Michael just stared silently until the heavy sigh came, and he was allowed to leave and hide from the staring and the ambient screaming in his room.

That's why it was so surprising when a man in a suit opened the door to his room when it was not time for Loomis to talk at him, frowning the scariest frown Michael had ever seen in his life. Dr. Loomis was behind him, asking him if there was _any_ way to keep Michael in his room. 

The man ignored Loomis and forced a dead smile onto his face. "Alright Michael, I would like you to come with me. Your mother has revoked the right for us to treat you, and the courts have agreed." 

Half those words made no sense to him, but Michael stood slowly. If he got to see his mom, he's going. He moved as far away from Loomis as possible as he was lead from the room. 

The scary man across the hall yelled at him as he left. Michael ignored him with clenched fists and steady breaths. 

Michael stepped closer to the scary suit man as he locked eyes with a tall policeman at the end of the hall. He broke eye contact when the man frowned, prompting him to squeeze his hand into a fist and put his eyes on the floor. He froze rigid when the person in the room they were passing banged on the door. 

The officer stepped forward, making sure that he was protected from the banging man. 

He couldn't help but glance at Loomis when the policeman followed them the last steps, moving between Michael and the two others that walked beside them- guiding Michael forward with a gentle hand on his back and a stern look to Loomis. 

The policeman opened the door to the mommy-meeting room for Michael, giving him a gentle smile as he nodded his head forward. Was he getting two meetings with his mom this week?

When he saw Judith standing in the middle of the room with her purse, glaring at a nurse he could feel himself start to hyperventilate again.

Her hair- now cut short... how long had he been here?- gleamed glossy in the light. When she turned her head toward the door, Michael could see the scar on her throat. She dropped her bag to dash forward and scoop him into a hug with no hesitation. 

He knew he was crying again when she started petting his hair.

He clung to her as his father signed some final pages of paperwork. 

Judith's humming calmed him down as he was allowed to hold Cynthia, playing with her hands as Judith resumed glaring at the nurses- and Loomis, in particular- around them. 

It only took a few more minutes before his mother carefully took Cynthia, his father smiling and scooping him up into a hug of his own before guiding him out the door of the hospital. The officer gave him a _whole_ chocolate bar before he left in his police car.

He liked the officer, but he _didn't_ like the snow on the ground.

When he got home, the no-no-knife was nowhere in sight. 

* * *

Michael grew to like his new therapist.

She had been scary at first, so similar to Loomis- but she had stopped in the middle of a session to bring his mom back in the room. With her blessing, she had cast aside the rigid formalities of the clipboard and the chair.

That session had ended early, but he liked the one after. 

He liked how she now had a big bowl of candy he was welcome to munch on, and plenty of pages (with crayons!) to scribble on while she thought of questions to ask him. She really liked his 'artwork', always asking him about the drawings and smiling as she did so.

One of his drawings- the one he drew of himself and his sisters- even wound up pinned to the corkboard by the door. She said she liked to look at it when she sat down in the morning, and that made Michael smile. 

She said she liked his smile. He said that he liked her's too. 

Well...

He still hasn't actually _talked_ to her, but she was kind enough to take his nods and shakes as answers- not like Loomis. He had  _technically_ written it on the bottom of the page.

...She  _did_  have a pretty smile though.

The meeting he had with her today was one he was excited for- she said she had a surprise for him!

His mother smiled at him from the rear-view mirror as she caught him smiling. He was already unbuckling himself when they pulled into the building Sally's office was in. He barely waited for the car to stop before he was opening the car door. 

He pouted at his mom as she purposefully took her time getting out of the car. Eventually she broke into laughter and chased him into the building. He ran until he got to the elevator, pushing the button before turning and beaming a smile at his approaching mom. 

The old lady behind the counter smiled from over her glasses as she made eye contact with Deborah. 

Michael sat himself in the chair- as he did every week- as his mother stepped into Sally's office to talk to her first.

It was the _worst_ part of every week, waiting for her to come out. 

Inside the office, his mother was very pleased as Sally went over his progress and today's plan. 

"He's coming along wonderfully, Mrs. Myers. He's smiling and grinning almost the entire time he's in here now- I truly believe the more relaxed approach you recommended is paying off. That leads me to what I wanted to go over with you this week- the chance of him going to a summer camp." 

Deborah blinked and crossed her legs at the knees, waiting for her to continue. "I've heard wonderful things of Camp Crystal Lake, and I'm certain that Michael's at the point where he would benefit from socialization- especially since he had to miss pre-school." 

Deborah slowly nodded her approval. "I'm honestly hesitant, but if I can speak to the counselors- especially the lead- first, I would have to agree. Michael  _needs_ to socialize with kids his age, or kindergarden will be a true terror for him." 

Sally nodded, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. "The second thing is slightly less exciting, but far more necessary- I'm _concerned_ about the fact he hasn't spoken yet. With what he's been through with the asylum, I can't help but wonder if he would even consider speaking anytime soon." She paused to gather her words for a few seconds, folding her hands together on the table as she took a deep breath.

"I actually know one of my classmates works upstairs in the language department- Phillip. He's a very kind man who's education was with children who need a more... _nonverbal_ touch. With Michael's skittishness, I believe he would be a great person to teach Michael sign language." 

Deborah leant back in her chair. "Sign language? And why would Phillip, in particular, be qualified to teach Michael sign language?" 

Sally nodded. "Phillip is actually mute himself. That was his specialty in school- teaching those that have lost their voice a new way to communicate." Deborah stared at Sally for a long moment before nodding. "I've trusted you this whole time, I believe I should trust you on this." 

Sally smiled. "I actually take lunch right after Michael's appointment, but I had a rather hardy breakfast- if you would like, I could accompany you both upstairs for the first appointment- Phillip has graciously kept an hour free right after Michael's appointment. I thought it might give him a bit of comfort as he gets settled in- and teach him how to meet someone new." Deborah's relief was tangible. "I believe that Michael would like that." 

Sally stood to clasp Deborah's hand within both of hers with a pleased nod. "That sounds like a plan then. Today will be light in terms of his treatment, as its mostly just seeing how he feels about what I've mentioned to you. Thank you again for allowing me to be a little creative with Michael's treatment." Deborah shook her head and waved it off with her free hand. "He's a creative boy, he needs an abnormal approach." 

Sally gasped, pulling open a drawer of her desk. "I almost forgot! Here are the pamphlets for Crystal Lake, and I wrote the names and numbers of the owners and the confirmed counselors on the notes page of the main one." Deborah took them gratefully and slipped them into her purse. "Feel free to ask Anna to use the phone if you would like to get a head start on calling." 

* * *

 

Michael's head shot up as his mom stepped out of the room. He was slipping into the door before she had even crossed the threshold. 

Deborah smiled and ran her fingers through the growing mop of lightening curls before she closed the door behind her. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as Sally greeted Michael with the usual "Why hello, Michael!", followed by the sound of a wrapper crinkling. 

* * *

 

Michael smiled as he walked into her office- he had seen her trying to bury a milk chocolate bar in the M&Ms as he came in. 

She smiled the pretty-smile as he went straight for it, breaking off the first row of blocks to offer to her, as he always did. She wouldn't take more than one row, as she apparently had to lose weight for her sister's upcoming wedding. Michael was convinced she didn't need to lose weight- he thought she was thin enough. She was around Judith's size, and Judith was pretty.

Sally had long red hair too, so he knew she would look nice in the bridesmaid's dress he had asked her to show him a picture of. 

Today he planned on drawing a picture for her sister. He had seen a picture of her last week- she was pretty like Sally was. Her boyfriend wasn't as pretty as she was though.

Sally had laughed loudly when he wrote that on a piece of scrap paper. She had even had to cover her mouth to stop the laughter! 

Michael liked her laugh.

He also liked how she waited for him to get settled in before asking questions. He was reaching for the crayons when she broke the routine. 

"Actually, before you begin coloring Michael, I would like your opinions on a few things." 

His eyes snapped up to hers, but her smile had him relaxing. 

"I happen to know of something- and I think you might enjoy it." 

His head tilted as a small grin took over his features. 

"Have you ever been to a summer camp, Michael?" 


	2. First Time at Summer Camp

Pamela smiled as she watched her son run the bags to the car, absolutely brimming with excitement. He was so meticulous, making sure each and every bag fit just right, and unloading it multiple times if an item didn't _quite_ fit. 

By the end of the night, she knew she would have everything they needed for a month at summer camp all packed away. Jason beamed a smile in return as he came back into their tiny kitchen, eager to help his mother make some snacks for the road. 

Fresh baked cookies- extra chocolatey chocolate chip was his favorite, but anything his mom made him he loved. He especially loved what he was allowed to help make! All sorts of snacks were tucked into the cooler by the time they were done.

With the car fully packed and his mom settling the cooler in the back- he wasn't allowed to lift it yet, mom didn't want him getting hurt- Jason eagerly slid into the passenger side of the beat-up sedan his dad had left behind when he disappeared. 

Even though the kids at his former school had made fun of him for not having a dad, Jason didn't mind it. He could barely remember the looming stature of the man, and couldn't remember his voice at all.  He was more of a figure from a movie than an actual person who had helped raise him for the first few years of his life. 

Either way,  _he_ didn't matter.  _He_ had left them behind in the middle of the night. The only person that really mattered was smiling brightly at him as she turned his head away from the grumpy old neighbor across the street- apparently, he had been staring. Jason gave a polite wave as he looked away.

Pamela smiled as she ran her fingers through Jason's hair. "Now sweetie, I've told you not to look at Mr.Greyson. He's just a grumpy old man."

Jason's "Sorry Mom... I didn't notice he was over there." came immediately as it was the truth, making his mother laugh as she turned on the car. "Oh? Lost in thoughts dearie?" 

Jason nodded. " I was thinkin' bout the car and dad." Pamela's smile immediately turned to a look of concern. "Are the nightmares coming back?" 

Jason immediately shook his head. "Nope! Just kinda thinkin' of how much I don't remember him that well anymore."

Pamela's smile returned as she stroked her knuckles against his cheek, dropping her hand to shift her car into gear. "Well, it's probably for the best. He never realized just how much of a _special_ boy you are."

Jason  _beamed_ with pride. 

Straightening her shoulders and focusing her attention on the road- Jason didn't mind it when she didn't look at him while she was driving. He knew she did it to keep him safe, not to ignore him- she kept her grin on her face. "So! Are you going to try to talk to the other kids again this year? Or will I have a helper in the kitchen?" 

Jason's shrug was less than enthusiastic. "I'll try Mom, you always want me to make friends. But-"

They both smiled as they spoke in complete unison. "-If they're mean, I go to mom." 

They laughed, and Jason wiggled in his seat. "Mom, can we turn on the preacher?" 

Pamela smiled widely. "Of course we can sweetie! After all, listening to God's teacher's is the best way to repay him for leading us to Crystal Lake after your father...left." 

Jason never asked about the hesitation. His teacher in preschool- the only teacher he had, besides his mom- had told him it was sometimes hard to talk about loved ones that left. 

Jason never stopped smiling as he diligently listened to the preacher on the radio. 

His mother's smile only grew. 

* * *

Now that he was at the gate, Michael found himself nervous.

He had hugged Boo and Judith goodbye- they had gifted him a hat and a blanket for the colder camping nights- and said bye to his mother- who had nearly smothered him against her chest as she barraged him with 'Did you remember your meds? Did you pack underwear? What about  _backup_ underwear!?'- before climbing into the car with his father. 

He rather liked the super long car ride with his dad. He got to learn a lot about him, but it was mostly him being talked at, considering he couldn't really reply with Don carefully watching the road. 

However, whenever they stopped for food, it was quite enjoyable. His father was learning sign language rather quickly, trying his best to communicate through the same nonverbal way- usually failing as Michael corrected him, grinning and allowing his shoulders to shake with silent laughter. 

The time to part ways came almost too quickly, and Michael nervously glanced up at his father as he held his hand a little tighter. Aging eyes turned to him with a soft smile, giving him the bravery he needed to let go and step forward to meet the nearest counselor. 

His eyes roamed around the campground he would call home for the next few weeks, taking in the other children who screamed and chased each other around. It was easy to notice how he was one of the youngest here.

He liked the dress of the young girl that sat beside the campfire, but he didn't like how the boy beside her kept trying to pull her dress. 

He didn't like how the older boy by the lake kept making that atrocious birdcall.

He  _definitely_ didn't like the group of cronies that surrounded a burlier looking teenage boy, who scowled at Michael as much as Michael stared at him. 

His Dad was the one to turn his face away with a worried look. Michael shook his head to deny what he knew his father was thinking. A quick movement of hands insulted the teen's looks, and Michael's father had to suppress a snicker in favor of chastising Michael for his rather blatant opinion.

Michael knew he wasn't actually in trouble, so he continued to smile softly as he looked over to the sound of a car door shutting. 

A grossly deformed boy was absolutely beaming as he moved to help his mother unload the trunk, both sporting matching  _Camp Crystal Lake_ shirts. Michael's attention was drawn away by a busty counselor greeting calling out as she moved to greet him and his father. "Why hello there! Delivering a little camper to us?" 

Don grinned as he set a hand on Michael's shoulder. "Yep! This is Michael- my wife has been in contact with you all about him." 

The blonde's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! Michael Myers, right? We've been told all about you Mikey, and we're gonna make sure you make  _tons_ of friends!" 

Michael immediately frowned and spelled out his name.

She looked confused. 

Don gave a sheepish smile. "I don't think he liked being called 'Mikey'."

She let out an exaggerated 'ohhhh...' Before that chipper smile was back with a slightly forced edge. "Alritey then _Michael-_ let's go settle you in."

Michael gave his father one final hug before following her to a cabin to put away his suitcase.

The camp was rather large, and he quickly discovered that it was filled to the brim with people that utterly _bored_ him- the counselors made moon eyes at each other (like Judith did to her fiancee), the kids never had a moment where someone wasn't sobbing or screaming or _howling_ with laughter, and the grown-ups that ran it all tended to give him a very wary look.

Except for the cook lady, of course. She had smiled widely and told him that he looked like a kind young man. Michael had seen the disfigured boy- her son, Jason- in the kitchen with her, bringing her various goods like the world's most adoring puppy. 

After the tour was over, he quickly decided he'd rather be near Mrs. Voorhees and her friendly- and  _quiet_ \- son. 

Turns out Jason was _quite_ interested in sign language, and a very intense student. By the time the other counselors realized Michael had slipped away from the pottery session- what? it was boring!- he had picked up most of the basic phrases and almost all the alphabet. 

Putting his thoughts into motion was harder, but Michael had to admit he was diligent. 

Mrs. Voorhees protected him when the counselors tried to get him in trouble for sneaking off. 

Michael quickly decided that liked her. 

* * *

The first two weeks  _almost_ had Michael missing the asylum. At least  _that_ kind of crazy was anticipatable!

The kids were up at all hours of the night, the counselors  _frequently_ snuck off together, and the group of wannabe-thugs had taken to making his life hell when they discovered his muteness. They never touched him physically- Michael was pretty certain they were scared of him, considering the look he had gotten when they had seen him in the office for his morning meds- but they did yell all sorts of nasty things at him.

They also tried to hide his stuff once, but Michael had put a short end to that by throwing all their clothes in the lake. 

The counselors  _knew_ he had done it, but they had no proof.

The teens didn't touch his stuff after that.

One plus side was that though, was with their attention on him, it was not on Jason.

It hadn't taken long for he and Jason to strike up a rocky friendship. Jason stayed near his mother at all times, but wound up overjoyed after he had gotten over Michael's accidental appearance scare- he had gotten quite good at walking quietly. If he walked with purpose and made sure to avoid crunchy things, he was guaranteed to slip away from any group.

Another plus side was that Jason was quite excited to show him around the camp- with his mother in tow, of course. 

He liked Pamela's cooking too, even though she made them bow their heads before they are. Michael didn't know who 'god' was, or why they should thank him for the food  _she_ had prepared, but Michael assumed it would be disrespectful to not bow his head when she had politely asked him to. 

Either way, he didn't mind closing his eyes and pretending. 

They usually went for walks around the lake after eating, as Michael enjoyed Jason pointing out various things that he found interesting. 

He especially liked when Pamela would smile softly as his hair whipped across his face on rather windy days, convincing her to stop their walk to pull his hair up into a ponytail. 

Michael liked Jason's smile when the other saw his face unobstructed for the first time- even if Jason hid his own shortly after Michael had told him so. 

Michael enjoyed it the most when Pamela put their sandwiches into a styrofoam cooler with their drinks, leading them out to the doc for a picnic on the lake. Especially when it was almost sunset, leaving a beautiful sparkle on the lake's surface. 

He and Jason both liked the lake, even if Jason couldn't swim. 

It seemed second nature to go to Jason when he slipped out of the cabin at night, taking him by the hand as Pamela finished her cleaning to sit on the dock just outside the kitchen- Pamela always allowed this, as she could simply look up from the sink and check on them both. 

The cooler night air felt good- better than the stuffy air of the cabin- but the bite of the air was easily ignored in favor of the Ham and Turkey sandwiches and Jason's excited sign language. 

He noticed how Jason's smile fell just before the sound of footsteps hit the end of the dock. 

He barely had time to turn before a hand gripped him by the ponytail and smashed him sideways onto the wooden planks. 

His head connected with the dock three times before he blacked out to the sight of the ugly teen closing in on Jason. 

He knew he wasn't out for very long, but by the sounds that drifted into his ears as he tried to open his eyes, he knew there was trouble. 

The sound of splashing registered in time with fading laughter, and Michael pushed himself up on shaking arms to see Jason's head bobbing as he panicked in the water.

Michael managed to get himself to his feet as Jason's head disappeared under reflective black waves.

Michael jumped- fell, more accurately- into the water, focusing through stinging in his head to wrap his arms around a strangely still Jason. 

It was _hard_ to pull Jason out of the water.

His feet slipped in the mud as he struggled to pull the larger boy out of the lank, only really managing to get his chest up on the sand.

It took a long second for his brain to process that he had collapsed to his knees as one hand held the open gash on his head. All he could really focus on was the way Jason's face- which was slowly beginning to bleed out once more, god he looked so broken right now- almost  _glowed_ in the moonlight. He wished he could see the hazel eyes hidden behind closed lids. 

His attention was drawn upwards by a frantic Pamela as she ran down towards the pier. 

Michael was glad she saw, as she knew how to make Jason start breathing again. As she sobbed and held her now dazed and bleeding son, Michael _knew_ he would be put back in the hospital.

He was already moving towards the kitchen, and  _the thing_ guided him straight towards the chef's knife that gleamed on the counter. 

He had never been more compliant to follow it's spidery legs and deep, guttural  _'yeeeessss'._

He had never been more excited by the look of fear on the boy's face as the knife buried itself into his shoulder. 

This time, he didn't sob in horror at what he had done when he was wrestled backward by the head counselor. 

The man's terrified look mirrored the one Pamela put on when he was brought into the main office. He ignored how the door was locked behind him.

The woman was brought out of her shock when Jason pulled himself from her arms, stumbling over to wipe some of the blood of Michael's face with a nearby towel. Michael frowned at the way Jason's limbs didn't seem to want to cooperate with him.

The counselor's panic was more related to the fact that the blood did not belong to the camper he had assaulted. 

A quick phone call and what seemed like a game of twenty questions later, it was agreed his therapist would come to talk to him before he was transported to an asylum.

His therapist arrived in the dead of the night, wearing some heart-patterned pajama bottoms and an 'I <3 sleep' top. To Michael's surprise, Phillip was the one in the driver's seat, wearing a pair of loose sweatpants and a loose black tee-shirt. 

The campers that had gossiped as the ambulance took the ugly boy away watched once more as the two adults were ushered into the lead counselor's office. 

The thing Michael found strangest was that- even with blood on his clothing and dripping through his hair- Jason refused to leave his side. 

It was strange how warm his hand felt as it tangled with Michael's own. 

That warmth calmed him more than Sally's gentle tone did. He had to be reminded of the conversation several times due to those warm hands derailing his train of thought.

Despite Jason's tears, one hour later he was on his way back to the local hospital for treatment, and then would be released to one of Illinois' asylums. They spent the wait for the ambulance discussing how he could make this stay shorter than the last.

Jason didn't seem to mind the talk of asylums and medication, instead interrupting Phillip- who took it graciously with a smile- by moving his hand to his temple before making a 'call me' sign with his hands.

_Why?_

Michael hesitated a long moment before answering, but a glance around the room proved that they would believe him.

_The Thing told me to._

Phillip's face scrunched up in confusion. 

Michael thought his face was funny like that. 


	3. Growing Summers

The next summer, Jason wasn't as excited to go to camp. He still packed his bags and helped load the car, but his usual exuberance was gone. 

Pamela knew why- the Myers boy. 

In such a short time, Michael had made such an impact on Jason's life- not just by saving it, either 

Jason had learned sign language in record time, having become far more comfortable talking in sign than with is own snaky voice. _She_  didn't mind the lisp he had to work against, but she knew it bothered _Jason_.

Watching his personality unfold through his newfound confidence was the greatest gift Pamela could ever ask for as a mother.

All she truly cared about was that Jason felt comfortable, so naturally she began learning sign language too- but she was far less adept than her precious little boy.

The drive to the camp seemed to crawl by to the sound of their favorite early morning Preacher, but it was obvious Jason's mind was elsewhere. Even his hands were still in his lap as he watched fluffy white clouds drift by the passenger side window.

He stayed quiet most of the trip, only breaking his gaze from the clouds whenever Pamela comfortingly covered his hand with her own, rubbing the back of it with her thumb. 

Thankfully, his mood seemed to brighten by the time that the sprawling gate that read  _CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE_ loomed over their car. 

He absolutely _lit up_ when he spotted a familiar blonde sitting on a log near Evan MacMillian- the owner of the camp. Pamela had spoken to him over the winter break, and apperently last year's lead counselor refused to return. Being the man he was, when no replacement was found, Evan himself stepped up.

Pamela didn't mind leaving the car to sit for a moment, instead preferring to laugh as the leaner Michael was plucked off the wood with no hesitation and full brute force.

Michael's embarrassed smile had Pamela convinced that Michael had missed Jason too. The hesitant hug that Jason got in return cemented her notion.

She sighed her amusement as Evan offered to help unload the car. The work went quickly, and the two were soon going over the current children listed for that summer with a pot of coffee on the element to keep warm. It took even less time to get off topic, sharing snickers as Michael scared Jason by blowing on the back of his neck- the taller hadn't heard him approach. 

"By the lord above, they really  _are_ inseprable already!" Pamela laughed into her mug as Evan rolled his eyes."Oh I know right?"

Unable to resist asking, Pamela sipped on her coffee to try to be as casual as possible . "I have to admit though, I'm honestly surprised that Michael was able to return this year, considering..."

Evan nodded immediately. "Michael's on new medications now, and his therapist still thinks it would be good for him to get the exposure to other kids. My reasoning is that we've allowed Paulie back three times now- even with his fights-, there was Jake all those years ago, Lord Almighty,  _Meg-_ if I gave _them_ all those chances, I can give Michael another one. Besides, it's not like it wasn't unprompted. If Paulie had left him alone, I doubt he would have been any trouble."

Pamela had to work to stop her laughter. "Now Evan, we both know you've been _looking_ for reasons to ban Paulie from the camp. As much as I love children, we both know he was more than a major problem starter."

Evan huffed a sigh. "Yeah, sadly. It kind of bums me out that we couldn't help him get back in line... Maybe we can get to his friends this year though- with him gone, they should lose that 'pack mentality' that they'd taken on."

Pamela hummed her agreement as she looked out the window. Jason was on the pier again with Michael- as they had been every day after dinner for the last three weeks- who seemed to be watching Jason's hands intently as he gestured wildly to a plant. 

Looking from afar, it was so easy to see how they got along.

Jason wasn't a small boy for his age- heavens no! Only eight years old and almost five feet tall, he was growing to be a stocky young man.

Michael was the only other that seemed to compare, just past Jason's shoulder at about same age- technically younger, but only by a few months. His figure was far lankier in comparison, but those blue eyes were the feature that leveled the playing field. 

 _Lord, his_ _eyes._

They burned through Pamela's soul with such intensity, even at the slightest things. The wide, dilated nature of someone kept in low-lighting (or, perhaps, she had seen him at sunset far too much, and had begun to mistake it for their natural state) made them look pure black under the right conditions. At first, it had truly frightened her. Her immediate thought was that the boy was a demon, come to steal away her baby-

If she were a lesser woman, she would be frightened when she awoke to those blue eyes peering into the cabin each morning.

Thankfully, she was no longer a lesser woman. 

Instead, she smiled at Michael as he came in to sit on the bed beside Jason's limp form, poking him in various spots until the sensation roused him from his slumber.

When gold flecked hazel met oceanic blue, the wildness of the day began anew. The two were quickly identified as the odd couple in the camp- the deformed one and his mute friend. The tall boys. The quiet ones. _Momma's Boys._

At the end of the fourth week, everyone had grown used to an excitable Jason towing a quiet- but grinning- Michael around everywhere he went.

They only grew closer as the summer grew to a close. Michael had gotten the soul squeezed out of him when his father finally arrived to collect him, an extremely saddened Jason savoring the last bit of contact with his best friend until next summer began.

Michael amused himself by running one hand through tangled brown locks as his other squeezed back with an arm around Jason's shoulders. No one really commented on how his head lulled to bury into Jason's neck.

When he was finally released, Michael's face lit up as he got an idea. His father's notepad was soon missing a page. Jason was soon in possession of surprisingly neat cursive that revealed an Illinois address. It was promptly tucked into the safety of Pamela's purse. 

Their own address was soon written in a messy scrawl and gripped in Michael's hand as he got one final hug. With a smile and a gesture Pamela didn't know yet, Michael climbed into his father's car and disappeared into the forest.

Less than a week later, Jason was absolutely _squealing_ with joy as he clutched a letter- _with_   _his_ **_name_** _on it!_ \- to his chest. 

The boys wrote letters- nonstop, may she clarify- clear up to the next summer.

* * *

Pamela and Evan grinned as a nine-year-old Jason went on yet another lap around camp. The sulking that commenced when Jason realized they had beaten Michael to camp was utterly adorable, as was his face when it was decided that Michael should be under better surveillance while at camp- meaning he would be sleeping in Pamela and Jason's cabin this year, not with the other campers.

Apparently there had been some complaints over the fall break, with overprotective parents threatening to keep their children at home this summer if Michael wasn't relocated out of the community cabin. Pamela had offered her cabin the moment Evan had finished speaking, knowing full well both boys would enjoy it more than of Michael had to stay with the younger counselors or Evan himself.

Now they were just waiting for Michael to arrive to tell him the news.

Both Pamela and Evan laughed as Jason's head whipped around in time with a familiar grey sedan pulling up.

He was on Michael the second he had left the car. Deborah was utterly  _thrilled_ to finally meet Pamela. 

The trio of adults watched with a warm cup of tea each as Jason helped carry Michael's bags into _their_ cabin. Michael had grown up to Jason's jaw now, still as lean and thin as ever. It was more impressive, considering that Jason was closing in on 5'5.

Deborah's smile nearly split her face as Pamela gently squeezed her shoulder. "This is the first time I've seen him friendly with anyone except his sisters." 

Pamela hid her laughter behind her hand. "Oh, you should see how they are on hiking trips! It's utterly adorable!"

The grins that followed were magnified by the pictures Pamela pulled from her purse. She had known Deborah was bringing Michael, and had made copies of all the pictures she had taken of the two so far.

Deborah's favorite was the one of the two asleep infront of the fireplace, with Michael's head on Jason's waist as Jason curled up on his side. They still managed to cling to each other's hands as they slumbered, and the dying fire gave them an utterly angelic light.

Deborah's smile continued as Jason came bolting out of the cabin, tripping over his feet while Michael stepped out as gracefully as a Spectre.

Pamela could tell by Evan and Deborah's faces that they had never seen Michael stalk after anyone, as he had managed to catch up to Jason in record time- without breaking a sweat- to shove him lightly and disappear into the woods with a sidestep. Jason followed as his laughter rang out around them.

It only took a few minutes for Jason to emerge once more, carrying a rather embarrassed and muddy Michael bridal-style before dropping him off the edge of the pier. 

Debora enjoyed the rather wet hug she got as a goodbye. Her parting gift was a brand new pack of hair ties, giggling as she had to help pull soaked strands out of her son's face. 

Even though it took Pamela a few days to actually notice how Michael liked to keep his hair up in a neat ponytail, it took her no time at all to notice how the boys had pushed their beds together in the quiet of the first night.

She found it absolutely precious how she would now religiously catch them snuggled underneath the blankets, passed out with books and crayons strewn all over the bed. It was even cuter how Michael was an absolute heat leech, often curling into Jason with each lapse of consciousness, only to awaken with an embarrassed flush and a half-hearted apology. Jason never minded, staring only a moment to process throught the fog of an awakening mind before beaming his usual smile and quite literally dragging Michael out of bed to start the day. Neither were any wiser to the multitude of snapshots Pamela was collecting on her polaroids to be developed come fall. 

That summer had drawn to a close with the boys paying close attention to the weaving class. They went home that summer with partner bracelets bearing each other's names. Jason's was a simple black cord, securing the orange beads that spelled ' _Michael'._

Cynthia  _loved_ the beads on Michael's own- Bright pink with neon green beads to spell ' _Jason_ _'._

* * *

They were both thrilled to find the each other still wearing them as the summer of 1967 rolled in. Both boys were now 10- well, Michael would be when the crispness of fall finally took the air- Jason was overjoyed as he loaded the rusting car, barely able to contain himself the entire way to the camp. He had so many plans for things to do with Michael this year!

Evan's frown and pitying look met them instead of Michael. 

He had been readmitted due do to the return of his hallucinations, having accidentally broken Cynthia's hand while holding it due to the relapse. 

He remained in the asylum for the next three years.

Thankfully, Deborah kept them updated through letters and phone calls- Jason was excited that they finally got a phone, but he wished he could talk to Michael instead of Cynthia. He still adored the youngest Myers either way, writing letters to her every week and listening to her day in Michael's place. 

It didn't take her long to start calling Jason brother too.

* * *

The summer after his thirteenth birthday, Jason grew confused as they passed the exit that would lead them to Crystal Lake. 

A grueling fourteen-hour drive later- broken into two parts, to allow a good night's rest- found them in the tiny town of Haddonfield. 

Cynthia had squealed-  _loudly_ \- upon seeing Jason for the first time, jumping up and down and yammering on about how excited Michael would be when he got home. Jason still found himself surprised at the immediate kindness of the Myers family- even with his friendship with the middle child, he had still expected staring and questions. Everyone always stared and asked questions- usually along the lines of 'what's wrong with your face?'.

Well, everyone but Michael. He was still told one evening, when they had nothing else to talk about and he had realized Michael had never cared enough to ask. He could still remember how Michael had shrugged it off, with his hands forming the words 'that's cool I guess. You're just extra different.'

Jason was positive it was the first time he had ever felt his heart skip a beat.

Michael's father pulled him from his thoughts as Don squeezed his shoulder comfortingly, pulling on his coat as he left the house. Jason tried to look less nervous.

Two hours later, a frighteningly tired looking Michael opened the door to his house. Jason had to clench his fists on the chair to keep himself seated as Cynthia got the first thug, mobbing her brother the moment he came through the door. 

Michael's family enjoyed his newfound freedom for a few moments before Judith scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Wow, aren't you perceptive! Not even gonna look around?" 

Michael gave her a confused look before scanning the living room. 

It took about five seconds for his head to turn to the kitchen, one for his face to loosen with shock, and two more for him to lunge for Jason. 

Michael's smile made Jason's entire year, even if he couldn't see it burried into his neck. He could feel it though, just as he could feel the way the smaller squeezed him with his arms around Jason's shoulders. 

Jason spent _three whole days_ with Michael at his house before Pamela drove them both to camp. 

When that summer closed, Michael went to Jason's for a _week_.

To add to the excitement, Pamela finally decided to clean out the storage room and give Jason a room of his own. Michael was quite the busybody when it came to cleaning, so by the end of the third day Jason was giggling with excitement as his mother closed  _his_ bedroom door with a smile.

It only grew when he turned to a grinning Michael seated on his bed.

* * *

1971 found Michael on a plane for the first time, flying out to Jason's the week before Crystal lake opened. At 13- almost 14!, he would sign every time- he was already closing in on 5'6". His height made it more than safe for him to travel alone- even if he was slightly upset that Jason  _still_ remained taller than him, just past his own birthday and passing 5'8". Pamela was overjoyed that he had actually passed her in height, with no signs of slowing anytime soon.  

Michael himself was amused by the sheer mass the other was putting on- his archery practice and woodsmen work each summer gave him an impressive stature, pushing him ever closer to 200 lbs of sheer muscle. 

Jason found Michael's trimmer nature adorable, easily able to lift the 160 pound Illinois native like he weighed nothing more than a pound of feathers. 

Michael usually pouted when it happened, but never really struggled against the arms that encircled his waist.

* * *

The next fall found Pamela mildly concerned at the unstopping growth of both boys. She slipped a Polaroid of the two at the Chicago airport into her growing album of pictures of the two. Jason was 6' now, and apperently Michael had _finally_ caught up due to an unexpected growth spurt. Jason still beat him out in terms of build- Michael was still thin enough to be swept off his feet.

* * *

January of 1973 had the two buzzing with excitement as the boys went to their parents with a question- 

It took no convincing at all in the Myers house- and more than a little convincing in the Voorhees house- to set up Michael coming down an entire _month_ early to celebrate Jason's 'sweet sixteen', with Jason following him home to linger for Michael's own. 

The layover months were passed with silent phone calls that lasted through the night, the two teens lulled to sleep by the breathing on the other end of the line. Michael worked hard during the days to get ahead in his classes- finally a sophomore, but still finding public school painfully dull- and easily passing the tests he would need to pass in order to miss the last three weeks of classes. 

Jason met him at the airport, nearly snapping his spine in a bear hug before he realized something- 

**_Michael was taller than he was!_ **

Just _barely_ , but the perpetually shorter blonde had finally surpassed his 6'3 with an impressive 6'5. Jason had thoroughly enjoyed discovering how all the proportions he had known so well had changed the entire ride home. 

Michael's hands were _just_ longer than his own, his feet tucked into shoes half a size larger than his. His knees rose slightly higher in the floorboard. His shoulders had visibly broadened, and a quick check proved he was indeed wearing the next size up in shirts.

Michael's eyes hadn't changed though, and  they remained fixed on Jason as a soft smile remained on his lips. They both remained quiet as Pamela turned on the radio, with Michael lulling his head back against the seat when Jason lifted his hand once more to check out the newly stretched skin.

The casual touch lasted until they got back to the tiny apartment complex- until Jason happily stepped out to help with the bags. As always, Mr. Greyson scowled from his tiny house across the street.

He continued to glare until Michael rose from the car, making eye contact of his own-

Unlike Jason, _he_ held it. Michael did _not_ like being stared at.

Pamela moved to coax Michael away, but the sheer intensity of the stare had her hesitating.

Jason looked up then, giving his mother a confused look. He didn't hesitate to grab Michael's hand, pulling that terrifyingly blank gaze to himself.

Michael immediately softened with Jason's smile. 

When he looked back, Mr. Greyson had disappeared into his home.

Mr. Greyson didn't stare too much after that, and Jason was thankful. It was one less impulse to get in trouble over. 

It was an easy event to forget, seeing as Jason was so excited for his birthday.

The night before, Michael and Pamela took him to a hockey game- He had even been allowed to buy a goalie mask, which he wore the  _entire_ night- he absolutely adored it! 

Pamela had been concerned with the implication of violence, but the boys had worked together to convince her it was no more violent than high school or the archery range. It just had fists, not arrows or gossip. Michael was convinced it was Jason's utter joy that convinced her, not the actual information itself. They had gone to bed that night knowing tomorrow would be a rather exciting day in.

The birthday celebration was small- just the three of them in the tiny apartment, watching some hockey (which Jason had been very excited to see- this was a  _national team!_ On the  _ **TV**!_) and eating an entire quarter sheet marble cake between the three of them.

Well, _most_ of it.

Pamela was laughing as she took a photo of Michael smooshing a slice into Jason's face. 

Jason had returned in kind, forcing them both to take a second shower to free themselves of forest green buttercream frosting. 

It wasn't until they were changing into their night clothes that the two got a moment of peace and quiet to themselves. It was Michael that noticed the oddity this time, grinning from his spot on the bed that they chose to share- Yes, it was cramped with both teens on the same smaller bed. No, he didn't care.

Jason was buttoning up his nightshirt, wearing his new favorite accessory- the hockey mask. His pajamas were a simple flannel button-up set, and Michael took notice of how much Jason seemed to like the pattern. 

However, this wasn't what he pointed out to Jason. A snap of his fingers drew Jason's attention to him- both knew it wasn't meant to be understood as rude.

_I think this is the first time we've been alone together._

Jason gave a quiet puff of a scoff.

_We've been alone tons of times!_

Michael rolled his eyes. 

_It doesn't count if your mom is watching us from a window- I really think this is the first time we've been alone without having to go straight to sleep, knowing that your mom won't be back in a few minutes to check in._

Jason's fingers slowed as he buttoned the last slot on his shirt. His head tilted as he thought it over. 

 _I think you're right._   _Mom usually comes back in, but she's already gone to bed- and she didn't say we **had** to go to sleep._

Michael grinned as Jason shrugged, not really moving a the other approached the bed to lay down. 

Jason bit back a chuckle when Michael didn't make room for him. 

That urge to laugh died as Michael reached up, carefully pulling the mask from his face by trapping the rim with his thumb and pointer knuckle. 

It was a long moment before either thought to move- they were equally captivated by the strange air around them, enhanced by the soft glow of the lamp beside the bed. 

Michael could only seem to notice how Jason's eyes outright glittered in the yellowed light that cast shadows around the rest of the room.

Jason was captivated by the blonde strands tied behind Michael's head with a piece of twine. It only took a slight pull to free them- did Michael's breath just catch, or had he imagined it?- and soon he was running his fingers through a halo of silken gold. 

His hair almost touched his shoulders now, growing back after its recent cut. 

_Why is your hair always so soft?_

Michael gave a half-hearted shrug.

_It's always been soft- Boo's is soft too._

Jason knew he nodded, but couldn't feel himself doing the action. All he could feel was his heart in his chest. 

The groan of the house settling in the chilling night startled them both out of... whatever they were doing. 

Michael's cheeks flushed as he pushed himself back with a soundless laugh, giving the other room to crawl into the bed. They fell asleep quickly, tangled together as they always were.

* * *

As the summer went on, Jason noticed the little things more and more-

The way Michael would bite his lip ever so slightly when he concentrated.

How full those lips actually were.

The way Michael would pull his hair up from the back first, making sure not to pull too hard on his bangs as he secured it with whatever was closest...

How he would take it down if Jason was around. 

The way Michael would stare into the distance more at night, seemingly transfixed by something only he could see-

That last one worried Jason. He waited until they were alone (well, alone as they were going to get) to ask.

Sitting on the pier with the remains of their snack between them, Jason had finally moved his hands. 

Michael's face was a strange mix of embarrassment and fear.

_I thought you hadn't noticed._

Jason frowned.

_Of course I noticed- you're my best friend! I'll always notice when you act all weird._

Michael suddenly took great interest in his cuticles.

Jason knew he was more nervous than he had originally thought.

_I... don't think my meds are working. Even after all this time, I still-_

He paused for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. 

_I still see it, out of the corner of my eye. I can hear it when it's quiet, and it still wants me to do... awful things. I **know** better than to act on them- I don't want to go back to Loomis, to prove him right-  but it's still **there** , and it still-_

Jason's hands caught his own, pulling them to his chest in order to stop the shaking. Michael had to several deep breaths to calm himself. 

_You should call your therapist tomorrow morning._

Michael shook his head. 

_I don't want to be admitted again._

Jason frowned. 

_That's what we're trying to avoid. They won't admit you for a medicine not working, you haven't done anything wrong!_

Michael's gaze settled on Jason, and for the first time, he could see the struggle behind those blue orbs. 

_How do you know they won't do it anyway? They're scared of me._

Jason scooted himself to sit closer to Michael.

_I know because you're nice. You're the nicest person I know- you haven't done anything bad._

Michael's lips flattened to a hard line.

_I have in the past, and I'm one off-guard moment from doing it again._

Jason grinned as he chose to poke Michael's cheek.

_You wouldn't know how, jellybean._

The look Michael gave him scared him a little.

_Even on this dock, It's already told me so many ways I could make you bleed like Judith did that one night. I could push your head against the edge of the board. I could use the side of the lunch box to cut you open. I could pick up a rock, a branch, anything with weight and knock you unconscious. I could push you in the lake. If I wanted to, I could even just use my **hands** to hurt you Jason. There's no shortage of ways to hurt someone, and its so hard to tell it no- even though I don't **want** to hurt you._

Jason's shrug had Michael looking slightly desperate.

_And I wanted a normal face- but it's not something I can control. But you can find a medicine that makes it **stop** talking to you. You can tell it no, and be still be stronger than anyone I know by ignoring it so much. Just because you **can** deal with it, doesn't mean you **should**. _

Michael stared him down for a long moment. Jason swore he could feel the world between them dissolve, leaving their entire universe to the two of them and the shimmering reflection of the moon on the water.

Eventually, he nodded.

_I'll call in the morning._

Jason smiled and pulled him to his feet.

* * *

Michael wound up missing one week of camp, as they required him to be under lock and key while they switched medications. Jason was livid at that, arguing against it- his objections were duely ignored.

With Michael's father's consent, Pamela signed off on his paperwork to drop him off and pick him up. 

Michael had spent the entire ride to the asylum with his head on Jason's shoulder, his hand gripping Jason's own with a strength the older didn't know Michael had. When they walked into the hospital, Jason knew why Michael hated asylums so much. 

To be honest, he was terrified- 

He was scared of the man in the corner that laughed as he rocked back and forth. 

He was scared of the nurse that gave him a judgemental look.

He was scared for Michael, as his anxiety clearly rose and his outward signs of friendliness faded.

He was certainly scared of the needle that they put in Michael's arm, plunging whatever it held into his veins. 

He was _**terrified**_ of the way Michael slumped into the wheelchair they had brought out, barely able to give a reassuring smile to Jason.

He didn't want to leave when he watched the doors close behind his best friend and the security guard as he was wheeled away. 

* * *

The ride back to Haddonfield with Michael's father was far more relaxed than it was with Jason's mother, and Michael enjoyed it- even if his new meds made it hard for him to think clearly. 

Jason definately minded the new absent stare that Michael had, but the younger's father ensured him that he wouldn't be on these pills for long- they're stronger than what Sally wanted Michael on. 

Don scowled as he called it medicine for 'True Loonies', angerly mentioning Loomis before threatening to throw the pills out the car window.

Jason also noticed how Don would not stop calling them 'Temorary Medications'. Jason had to have 'temporary medications' explained several times before he actually understood the concept. 

When he finally did understand, Michael's father watched with confusion and mild disturbance as his son was effortlessly coaxed into laying his head on Jason's shoulder.

No one in the car liked the distant stare Michael had in his eyes. 

* * *

One week later, Jason had thankfully seen it coming. 

Michael had been sitting in the kitchen with him, but hadn't been touching his lunch- even though it was his favorite, chicken and dumplings.

His mother was trying to get him to acknowledge her, but Michael refused to look up from the untouched bowl. 

Jason was the one that noticed his breathing was weird.

When he pointed it out, Deborah tried to get him to leave the room. Cynthia had immediately taken Judith's hand, pulling the full-grown adult out of the house. Jason could see them knocking on the neighbor's door across the street. 

He was starting to get scared.

He was the one that made the mistake of touching Michael's hand- Deborah hadn't been fast enough to stop him. 

The look in Michael's eyes- it was never one Jason had seen before. 

They looked like the eyes of the deer he had killed in archery- emotionless and empty, void of everything that made emotion tangable. 

Michael's breathing was nearly silent as his own hand wrapped around Jason's throat. Jason immediately squeezed Michael's wrist, pulling the hand away as he stood to get better leverage. 

Michael immediately fought back against the arms that wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his side. He clawed and kicked at whatever he could reach, unable to breathe and unable to scream to release the emotions within him. 

Deborah watched in horror with her hands against her mouth, tears spilling from her eyes as she ran to the phone.

By the time the ambulance arrived, he was mostly motionless as Jason stroked his fingers through Michael's hair.

The people that soon crowded around the two kept checking Michael's pulse, but Jason could _feel_ the underlying tremor in Michael's body. 

 _The Thing_ had finally let him breathe for a moment, and Michael was _**terrified**_. 

When no one was looking, Jason pressed his lips to the top of Michael's head, moving the lax fingers with his own. 

_I T S- O K A Y._

His breakdown was quickly attributed to medication, and Jason outright refused to file a police report. He refused to allow them to take pictures of the bruises on his throat and arms. 

He may not be smart, but he knew what they would be used for.

He told the officer  _he_ would tell his mother what happened- she was a delicate person, after all, and he didn't want her panicking with him so far away. 

Jason steeled himself to keep his first secret from his mother. 

The Myers had been kind enough to allow Jason to stay, as they knew Michael would be out of the hospital before his upcoming birthday. Even with 20 days lost to the institution, they had still gotten to see each other while Michael was in for treatment.

Jason loved and hated the hour he got to visit each week. Michael looked so tired before he locked eyes with Jason, sitting at the table that they used for visiters with his head handing towards his lap. He never looked up- he never _moved_ \- until he heard  Jason's footsteps.

The entire change in his person is what Jason was excited for each time. The sheer _excitement_ that brought pale features to life, the _smile_ that took over his face, the way he gripped Jason's hand the entire time they were together-

He was excited that, for the first time, Jason had finally seen an unmedicated Michael.

He was far more likely to smile and initiate contact, allowing Jason to cling to him- or even sit right beside him, much to the nurses' dismay.

Jason wished he had been allowed to hug Michael more than once each visit. He made the most of it either way, extending the 'hug' far longer than he should in the name of physical contact. He knew Michael appreciated it.

The very first meeting he was allowed, he found that he wasn't able to keep the secret of his bruises from Michael. The younger had asked so quietly that Jason wasn't able to think of a proper lie fast enough. Jason wished he had when the heartbroken look crossed Michael's face. 

Michael had apologized, but Jason didn't think Michael would ever actually forgive  _himself_ for losing control like that. Jason told him repeatedly that there was nothing to apologize for, as he had never been upset. After all, it wasn't  _him_ that went after Jason- it was  _The Thing._  Michael just squeezed his hand, savoring the touch until the nurse came to collect him.

It felt like forever before Don got the call that he had passed his tests, and his new medication seemed to be working. Michael had been free of  _The Thing_ for an entire week.

The first night Michael was home, Jason had waited so very patiently until the moment when they could stretch out on the bed that was far larger than his own... even if they took up even less space. He took great pride in how Michael sighed with nothing more than a relieved exhale, his head tucked beneath Jason's chin and their legs tangled together like they were children once more.  

Jason found himself watching the darkness, knowing that in Michael's mind, something was watching back.

He hoped it could  _feel_ his disapproval.

* * *

Things went rather smoothly though Michael's birthday. 

The two wound up staying in on the big night, even though they had tickets to go see a movie. Instead, they wound up laughing with Cynthia and a few of her friends from school as the youngest Myers held an empty bottle like it was a fine french perfume. "- and  _thiiiis_ should make the night a little more interesting!"  

Michael tilted his head as Cynthia directed them all to sit in a circle. 

"I heard about it in school! It's a game called spin the bottle... It's like truth or dare, but with some extra ruuuuules~!"

 Michael _immediately_ shared a look with Jason, but both boys settled in beside one another as Cynthia flipped her bangs out of her face. "Okie dokie! The basic rule is that you spin the bottle, and whoever it lands on is your personal victim! You can ask them 'truth', and force them to tell you _annyyything_ you want, or 'dare' and have them preform any action you want!"

The eldest of Cynthia's friends- a pair of eighth graders from just down the street- immediately eyed Michael and giggled. Cynthia ignored them as she continued with a wide smile. "If you chose to be a chicken and bow out, you immediately have to do the other option, and the group has to decide what question you'll answer or what dare you'll do! the best part is- if a bottle lands _between_ two people-" 

She paused, looking to make sure their mother was still in the kitchen before leaning in with a giggle.  _"They have to kiss!_ _"_

The girls immediately squealed a chorus of 'eww!' and broke into giggles. Michael rolled his eyes as everyone scooted closer together, giggling as they claimed it would mean they didn't have to kiss- it couldn't land between someone if there was no room!. 

Michael and Jason made sure to keep some level of space though, just for personal comfort. They were larger than normal, after all.

Cynthia placed the bottle in the middle of the circle, spinning it as hard as she could with her hand- it landed on her best friend.

Nea was a transfer student, and she was already belting out a laugh as she chose dare with no hesitation. 

She had to eat an entire spoon of hot sauce, straight from the bottle.

When Nea spun, it had landed on Jason across the circle- he chose dare, and the younger dared him to steal Michael's hair tie. 

Michael laughed as his hair curtained around him, and his beloved string was tied into a bow on the hockey mask he had taken to wearing around the house. 

When he spun, Kate had been dared to sneak into the kitchen and snag the jar of cookies from the counter. Everyone had reaped the benefits of that dare.

Kate squealed with upmost amusement as it landed on Michael, who  _immediately_ chose truth. 

Cynthia scolded him with no hesitation, but his look said more than the gestures that spelled  _'I don't trust you Boo.'_

He had been asked if he ever thought he would get a job. 

Michael had to shrug, but his cheeks flushed as he admitted he had applied at the local mechanic's. A guy could _dream_ after all!

Jason had immediately derailed the game, trying his damnedest to convince Michael he would get the job. Michael himself still remained hesitant- who wanted to hire the local crazy with a history of violence?

When the back and forth got a little intense, Cynthia broke it up with an eyeroll and rolling the bottle to bump into Michael's knee. 

Jason conceded in the name of the game, promising to re-raise this issue later.

When Michael finally spun, it landed on Annie- another one of Cynthia's best friends. She had also chosen truth, but Michael's eyes gleamed with mischief as he saw the opportunity to return the favor for a practical joke she and his sister had played on him a while back- he asked if she had a crush on anyone. 

The group was squealing as she turned red. Apperently her cousin's friend- a boy by the name of Quentin Smith- was rather cute. Michael took the embarrassment as a repayment for the tape-on-the-door prank. 

They played for well over an hour, with Jason actually getting Michael on one of his spins- he had dared Michael to go get everyone a soda. Michael knew Jason was just too shy to talk to his mother, even after all this time. Michael had teased him about that fact as he got everyone's orders.

With sodas in hand, it was currently Cynthia's spin, and the youngest Myers was grinning devilishly at Annie. After learning her bra size from Kate's earlier spin, Cynthia had outright stated that she didn't believe her.

Knowing his sister well enough, he  _knew_ his little sis was going to dare Annie to take off her bra- he would put his _entire_ allowance on it. 

The entire group fell into silent shock as the bottle slowed to a stop, pointing innocently at the wall- right between Jason and Michael. 

Michael knew his cheeks were red by the time his eyes shifted to Jason's. 

Cynthia  _howled_ with laughter, with her friends were quickly egging them on.

It  _was_ the rules, wasn't it?

Michael was trying to get his hands to move to ask permission when Jason clenched one hand into a fist, his other coming up to lift his mask just enough to free his lips. 

Michael swore he was going to pass out when they brushed against his own. They were softer than he had expected, and  _far_ warmer. Even though it was a short peck, Michael could still smell the thin mints they had snacked on a short while ago coloring the air between them. 

Jason immediately hid behind his mask, and Michael swore he was melting as he hid his face in his knees. 

The commotion finally drew the attention of Mrs. Deborah Myers, who deemed it a proper time to recycle the bottle and clean up for dinner. 

The pack of teens disappeared upstairs to make themselves presentable- normally, this would mean brushing their hair and changing if their clothes were dirty. However, it was a Myers Tradition that birthday meals were to be eaten in pajamas, so they could all curl up to watch movies until they passed out after. 

When the door closed behind him, Michael could still feel the embarassment between them. He knew his cheeks were still pink as he tried to joke his way back to normalacy.

_Well, that was an interesting way to get my first kiss._

Jason made a strangled noise of surprise.

_That was so not your first kiss! You're too-..._

Michael shifted as his soundless laugh coupled with an abnormally shy look.

_Yeah, it was._

Jason shook his head as he pulled on his favorite red flannels. 

_What about that girl back at camp? Jamie?_

It was Michael's turn to make a face as he changed into a pair of looser sweats. Both pointedly ignored how they had both hesitated, before bursting into snickers at the rediculousness of the embarrassment.

_N-O, no! I mean, she was nice, but there was a **reason** I never gave her my number. She liked girls._

Jason stared at him for a long moment, trying to judge if Michael was just making him feel better. It didn't take long for an embarassed laugh to slip free as Jason gave a half-shrug.

_I mean... I'm not upset about it. If I'm going to have my first kiss with anyone, it might as well be you._

Michael shifted his weight as he smoothed down his newest green tee.

_Honestly, same here- even if I thought it would go a little different._

Jason couldn't help the grin that overtook him. 

_Oh, now you have to tell me! What were you expecting? Rain? Flowers?_

Michael immediately hid his face as he Burst into laughter, sitting on the bed and shaking his head 'no'. Jason  _immediately_ moved in for the interrogation, digging his fingers into the sensitive ribs. The loose tee gave Michael no reprieve, and within seconds he was kicking and wheezing the breathless laugh that had Jason's face splitting with a grin. 

It was one of the rarer moments when Jason decided to use his voice, repeating "teeh-lle" as his hands were busy making Michael lose what little air he currently held in his lungs. 

When the laughter faded to a steady wheeze and hands desperately clutched his own, Jason finally stopped. Michael was still laughing beneath him, his hair a _royal_ mess with how much he had thrashed to get away from ticklish fingers. 

Jason was easily transfixed how utterly relaxed Michael looked, those endless blue eyes holding his gaze as long, thin hands squeezed his own ever so slightly. 

The warmpth left his wrists as his mask was pulled off his face, but the  _thump_ of it meeting the floorboards never met Jason's ears. Instead, he heard the rustle of his flannel sleeves as Michael's hands slid up his bicep, reaching up and up and up until both arms were looped around his neck. 

Jason's hands split in their duties, one tangling through golden locks in the effort to move them to make room for his forearm. His other hesitated only a moment before resting beside Michael's waist, gripping the navy blue sheets as a way to ground himself as Michael's smile turned knowing.

The pink of Michael's tongue wetting his power lip drew his attention a little lower.

Michael didn't need any strength to coax Jason down for a kiss.

This one was not just a peck on the lips.

This one was sustained for a few unending seconds, more than long enough for both to let their eyes slide closed. Jason felt his arm slide further up on the bed as he shifted their lips to be even closer, reconnecting that minute touch for the third time that night. He couldn't help but break the kiss prematurely to sigh as Michael's arms slid downwards-allowing his hands to caress the back of his head, guiding their lips together yet again after Jason had stopped to press the bridges of their noses together.

It only took a few more seconds the pair to lose track of the number of individual kisses, instead measuring by the breaks they took to inhale, and how long they could stand their lips being parted when they remained so close to each other. 

It was while shifting his balance that Jason's fingers accidentally pulled on Michael's hair.

Jason had never heard such a sound from Michael-  he had never seen Michael's chest jump with such a sharp gasp that followed, accompanied by the roll of his upper body readjusting on the bed.

Both boys' cheeks turned a light pink before Jason was pulled back down, and lips met with a different undertone.

Jason's heart pounded in his chest as Michael's hands slid to caress his cheeks, holding him as his entire body shocked with the tingle of something warm and wet meeting his lower lip.

Michael tasted like Halloween- smooth undertones of milk chocolate and the odd underbite of something sharper- perhaps the mint of the girl scout cookies, or the butterscotch of the hard candies Michael loved so much...

Either way, it fit nicely with the silkey-smooth movement of a knee rising to give them even more contact, blocked only slightly by the fabric they wore. 

It was almost entrancing as the breathy sigh that met his own transfixed exhale.

Of all the times, it was _then_ that Cynthia's questioning knuckles rapped against their door. The two jolted apart as if they had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

Michael's face immediately began to flush again, and Jason- as usual- recovered through his surprise to move first. Michael took note of the way Jason's hand shook slightly when he lifted his mask off the floor, placing it on the bedside table.

Just before they left the room, Michael caught him by the elbow. Jason tried his best to remember the shy look on the taller's face, combined with the wild state his hair was now in.

_That was... certainly closer to what I had imagined._

Jason's laugh had Michael grinning as he reached for his hairbrush. 

After dinner, they fell asleep on the living room floor as if nothing had happened- with his favorite movie playing in the background.


	4. Change in the Status Quo

When Jason got the excited call from Cynthia, he hadn't actually spoken to her. When Michael took the phone, neither needed to speak for the younger to know how happy Jason was that Michael had actually gotten the mechanic job. 

The letter he got in the mail the next week was a whopping _ten pages long-_ Jason was _absolutely_ laughing at the double stamp required, and would certainly tease him in the next letter over it- with Michael absolutely  _gushing_ over his excitement and how his first day went. Jason's favorite part of the entire letter was the pictures carefully tucked into the centerfold. Michael's face smiled back at him in one, his hair pulled up as he stood by himself- sporting his brand new jumpsuit in a building Jason didn't recognize. Judging from the tires in the very corner of the picture, Jason assumed it was taken at the garage Michael would now spend eight to twelve hours a day- except during the month for camp. 

The other was of him in his everyday clothes, with Judith and Cynthia under each arm as all three beamed their smiles. It took Jason a moment to realize they were wearing shirts with the silver shamrock masks printed on the front. Jason _i_ _mmediately_ rolled his eyes, already knowing how excited Michael must have been to have gotten the one with the pumpkin mask on it. Knowing Michael, he probably changed into it right in the middle of the living room. 

The next several letters gave Jason funny stories from Michael's job, ranging from co-worker pranks to his own surprise at how adept he was with cars- even if he had never been allowed to drive one before his boss had decided to remedy that. Jason could tell by the way Michael's usually pristine handwriting became increasingly smudged that Michael was utterly enamored with his new job already. Jason put a _slew_ of teases in his next letter without hesitation, but made sure to ask every question that came to his mind when it came to details- he was curious, and he knew Michael would enjoy a captive audience enough not to mind the sheer amount of questions Jason had. 

The excitement lasted clear until they reunited the week before Camp Crystal Lake reopened. They hadn't even made it out of the airport before Michael's hands were moving faster than Pamela could follow. Safely tucked into the back seat, the conversation continued with soundless laughter and caught breaths, interspersed with the occasional stamping of amused feet and hidden faces as shoulders shook with uncontained giggles. 

It wasn't until Jason was about to climb into his bed beside Michael to go to sleep that Jason realized that they had never even _mentioned_ what had happened between them last year. None of the letters had asked for clarification- none had even _hinted at it._

Would Michael mind laying beside him after they had gotten so...?

Jason could feel his cheeks heating behind his mask.

Michael tilted his head, and Jason was immediately distracted by the flash of blonde. His mind was instantly overcome with the memory of Michael's now-obvious moan, how good it had felt to feel Michael's body roll against his own with pleasure-

He visibly jumped as Michael's hand pulled Jason's mask from his face. Jason felt his embarrassment threaten to swallow him, he hadn't even realized Michael had sat up!

He gaped uselessly for a moment, struggling to find words, to find the muscles in his hands to communicate-

Michael rose to his knees, and Jason's gaze followed his sheets as they pooled around Michael's knees. His black pajamas left very little to question in terms of Michael's physique, and it certainly didn't help Jason's attention span. 

His eyes were pulled off smooth collarbones when Michael set the mask off to the side, reaching back up to caress his cheek. 

Once more, almost as if the touch of Michael's hand stole his will, he followed the pull of Michael's palms right to his lips. 

Jason's mind quickly disregarded everything except the way Michael felt in this moment- the hands that slid to tangle in his hair, the broad chest against his own, the strong thighs that effortlessly readjusted to rest across his- all of it culminated into the breathtaking experience of pinning Michael Myers to a wall to kiss him senseless as his mother slept in the next room. 

They kept exchanging kisses until Michael began to tip sideways, officially breathless and dazed with a dazzling smile. 

Jason silently laid beside him, his questions dead in his throat.

He knew he didn't need to ask anyway, as the way Michael peppered his face with kisses served as answer enough. 

Jason noticed how Michael still maintained his smile as Jason's hesitant hand slid over Michael's waist, sliding over soft fabric in the name of pulling him closer. He almost pulled it away completely when he realized the shirt had ridden up to reveal the soft skin of Michael's side, but Michael's lips moving to meet his own for a chaste kiss prompted him to keep it where it was. The hand that covered his own cemented his decision to stroke along soft skin, as his option to remove it had just been removed itself.

Jason made Michael promise to show him the jumpsuit when they went to his house after camp was over. Michael's smile made his chest squeeze almost as much as the kiss that had them pressing closer together.

The conversation lulled as they calmed for the night, pulling the sheets tighter in a mirror to their bodies' closeness. It took them far longer than expected to actually fall asleep- mostly because of the casual kisses that kept both rather conscious and aware of the other beside them. Jason's hand remained on Michael's side the entire time, stroking his thumb along the bare skin he had been blessed with the permission to touch. 

Michael kept smiling the entire time, tracing his fingertips along Jason's bicep just to watch the muscles beneath pale skin jump in response. His fingers continued their exploration as Jason squeezed Michael's hip, hesitating only a moment before slipping trembling digits further under the shirt. Michael's happy sigh told him it was a good decision. 

They woke up to Pamela's soft knock on the door, chastising them both for sleeping in so late- it was almost 7 am! 

Jason immediately apologized, promising that they would be showered and downstairs by 7:30. 

He took the shower first, as Michael had always been fond of lounging until he either felt like leaving the bed, or was forced to by some outside force. 

The rest of the nights went the same, with Jason pushing the limit of touchable skin more and more until he knew his palms had explored every inch of Michael's chest. If he was certain of anything, it was that Michael was not inclined to ever make him stop. 

* * *

Camp itself was rather interesting this year, with the very first day being the most exciting- at 16, they were finally allowed to go to the 'grown-up' meeting! Jason had always wondered what they talked about during that...

Turns out, it was  _not_ a fun topic. 

Evan grinned at the group-  _especially_ Jason and Michael, who had claimed a smaller log in the name of sitting together and still maintaining personal space- giving the group of teens a moment to get their 'hello's in before drawing everyone's attention to himself. 

"Alright everyone, I know you're all excited for this camp year! However, as 16-year-olds- or  _almost_ 16's-" Jason snickered as Michael threw him a dirty look. "-This will probably be the last year you are able to attend. Camp Crystal Lake is a  _children_ _'s_ camp after all." 

Jason looked utterly heartbroken. 

Michael didn't hesitate to slip his hand into Jason's own.

"-But."

The hope came back so fast Michael thought Jason got whiplash.

"We're  _always_ looking for Camp Counselors!"

Evan was convinced he had never given out a pair of applications faster in his entire life. 

* * *

Jason was utterly  _giddy_ as Michael sat on the dock beside him. 

_Can you believe it!? Camp, every year! But we get PAID for it!_

Michael nodded, taking off his socks and shoes before dipping his feet into the crystal blue lake.

_I know- I'm excited too! It'll be good to not have to budget so tightly since I'm loosing so many hours by coming to camp._

Jason grinned and bumped his shoulder against Michael's. 

_You really like that job, huh?_

Michael's smile took his breath away.

_I really do. It's something I can do by myself, and I'm not just a burden on my parents- I've even started buying my own medication!_

Jason grinned. 

_How have those been working for you? Been having any problems?_

Michael shook his head.

_I haven't seen the thing since I was put on them. They finally gave me a diagnosis too- they're pretty certain I'm schizophrenic. Sally said she suspected it for a long while, but was hesitant to diagnose me since I was young and showed signs that could be a bunch of other stuff. We've just recently ruled out all of those._

Jason's grin fell to a frown.

_Isn't that the one where people just kind of stare at walls and talk to god and stuff?_

Michael's face flushed slightly. 

_Well, I tend to stare at walls if left on my own too long. I do it way more at the asylums, and it's one of the main reasons I've finally been diagnosed. Between the catatonia, the hallucinations, and how badly I am at actually showing emotions half the time, they're pretty certain this is the right thing._

Jason immediately turned bashful.

_Sorry, I didn't mean to-_

Michael immediately grabbed his hand to stop the apology. 

_It's alright, I know you didn't mean it to be insulting._

Jason hesitated before continuing.

_Why do they think you have issues showing how you feel?_

Michael tilted his head, but had to think for a moment before explaining. 

_Well, when most people get super happy, they smile like you do- most of the time, I can barely get a grin on my face, even though I am that happy. It's kind of like everything has been through a lens before it gets to the outside._

Jason nodded as he began to understand. 

_Do they know a lot about it? Can they keep the thing away?_

Michael shrugged as they both turned to a group of new arrivals, squawling for their parents. They shared a grin as they remembered when they first arrived. 

_If I'm going to be honest, I didn't ask too many questions last appointment. I was mostly surprised I even **got** an official diagnosis after this long- She said she didn't want to risk giving me a wrong diagnosis because it would have messed with a lot of stuff if I kept bouncing around with what could have been wrong._

Jason shrugged.

_I guess she's the one that went to school for it, she knows what she's doing. And she sounds nice if she's not willing to mess up your life in the name of paperwork._

Michael's shoulders shook with silent laughter. 

_Yeah, she is. You should come with when I go to my appointment after Camp- It'll be boring while I'm in the appointment, but I've told her a lot about you. I'm certain she'd love meeting you! Phillip would like it too I bet._

Jason's smile was back, shining brighter than the sunset. 

_That sounds fun! Maybe we could go to that one restaurant your mom usually takes you to after the appointment? The one where they send the bread out on little trains?_

Michael nodded as he pulled his feet out of the water, slipping back into his socks and shoes. Jason pulled him to his feet as they moved toward the first night s'more fire. 

To their surprise, a young boy was sitting beside Pamela, a plushie of an armadillo clutched in his arms. Jason immediately waved as Michael tilted his head. 

Pamela gave them both a smile.

"There you boys are! There's someone I'd like you both to meet- This is Junior Sawyer, a new camper here at Crystal Lake. He's got some issues making friends, and even more issues talking, so it'll be our job to make sure he settles in well."

Michael nodded as Jason knelt down in front of the frightened young man. 

Thankfully, he knew _some_  sign language. Jason eagerly helped him with what he didn't know. 

* * *

Junior didn't know what to think as two  _behemoths_ walked toward himself and Pamela. He glanced up at her as she gave him a reassuring smile, and he wished he knew why they were walking towards  _him_. 

When Pamela called out to them, he finally understood- the one with the blonde hair was Michael, and the brunette was Jason. How Pamela called him a special 'little' boy was beyond Junior... Jason was the biggest boy he had ever seen!

Michael was a different beast, calm and quiet as the slaughterhouse at the end of shift. He barely even disturbed the leaves as he walked, appearing more like a ghost than a human being. His eyes cut through Junior, even if his smile softened them. 

They were scary. 

He held his plush closer as Jason knelt before him. 

He was absolutely shocked when Jason knelt before him, moving his hands in a way his own mom had begun to teach him when he started his sixth month without talking. 

He quickly warmed up to the two when he realized he wasn't forced to stutter his way through a conversation- especially considering Michael couldn't talk at all. 

It also helped that they seemed to be so friendly with each other, even though the other campers pretty much ignored them. 

Michael made good s'mores, managing to toast each marshmallow perfectly without burning it- Jason preferred to light the whole thing on fire, allowing it to envelop in charr before pulling out the molten center. Michael had rolled his eyes and offered a handkerchief to clean the stickiness off his hands once they were done eating. Junior found himself giggling as Jason tried to put sticky hands on Michael's face, causing the other to lean back until he had almost fallen off the log. 

His uneasiness continued through the rest of the night, right until they got to the cabin and he only saw three beds. He found himself blinking in surprise as the two teens crawled into one together, leaving Pamela to giggle at his expression. "Don't mind them dearie, they've shared a bed since they were smaller than you." 

Junior didn't believe that Jason or Michael  _ever_ could have been smaller than he was. 

Both turned bright red when she went to grab the camp's photo book for proof. 

* * *

By the end of summer, Bubba- Junior much preferred the nickname Jason had given him less than a week in, and responded to it faster than his own name now- was a much happier child. He had only punched five kids the whole time he was here, which his brother was utterly shocked about. With Michael and Jason's addresses stitched into the tail of his plushie for safekeeping, he waved goodbye from the pickup truck's window. Michael and Jason waved back as he disappeared, both grinning as they turned to each other. 

Maybe being a counselor would be more fun than they thought. 

They went home with a sheet of ideas each- having already been interviewed for their positions and accepted into next year's roster- and told to add anything they could think of. They were supposed to mail the sheets back one month before camp next year, and call if they had any ideas after that. Jason was already excitedly describing some updates to the archery range- no one really used it, and Jason was _convinced_ it was due to the natural darkness of the secluded area. The plane ride passed with the two excitedly discussing ways to light the area while ignoring the young girl trying to insult Jason from the other side of the aisle. 

Even though she tried her hardest, she was blatantly ignored as Michael brought up the condition of the hiking trails- some of the prettiest ones had fallen to the mercy of the underbrush, and he would rather like to see them restored... particularly the one around the edge of the lake. The fond memories had Jason grinning as they both remembered the early morning walks with Pamela. 

Michael thought it would be a not-so-fun early morning job that would pay off for some incoming campers. After all, the lake was part of Camp Crystal Lake's draw- it would be foolish not to maximize on the appeal of the lake. Jason easily agreed, more than happy to volunteer his help with cleaning the trails. 

_Worst case scenario, we have our own private project for early mornings._

Michael smiled as he nodded his agreement, taking a moment to watch the plane descend through the overcast of a Chicago morning.

Jason wound up gripping the arms of the chair, far more anxious over the controlled descent than Michael was. The taller just wound up laughing, squeezing his hand before returning his gaze out the window. 

It didn't take too long to gather their bags and exit the plane when finally permitted to move, silently glad to leave the little girl and her mother behind. Sometimes, first class could be just as bad as economy.

The drive to Haddonfield was far more comfortable than the flight, but the boys easily passed it by discussing more ideas for the camp- ways to improve morale of the campers, ways to make the counselors actually pay attention, ways to make the counselors themselves not seem like an entirely different entity than the campers themselves. 

Jason had the best idea for that, which was relatively easy to fit in- stories of their favorite camp experiences during s'mores night. Michael immediately prompted Jason to write that down, fairly confident it would work flawlessly. By the time they got to the Myers house, they had four ideas each written down. 

As Jason gratefully took advantage of the washer, Michael crept upstairs to put on his jumpsuit. 

He felt oddly nervous as he fixed the collar, making sure it stood properly before sliding his hands through his hair to pull it up as he did before each shift. He could feel his heart racing as he smoothed his cuffs, allowing his heart to race as he sat on the edge of the bed. 

It only took about three minutes for Jason to make his way upstairs, presumably searching for him after not finding him waiting in the kitchen.

When he nervously opened the bedroom door with a knock, Michael found a strangely shy smile on his lips. 

Jason stood in the doorway for a good ten seconds, making Michael's smile grow into an amused laugh as he stood to take Jason by the hand and pull him into the room. With the door safely closed behind them, Jason took the time to look over Michael in his work clothes. 

He looked...strangely intimidating in the overalls, as they truly accentuated the broadness of Michael's shoulders and the narrower dip of his waist. The heavy workboots were a great accent, with the distinct, yet quiet  _thud_ of each step a strange sound to Jason's ears- even in his hiking boots, Michael rarely made a noise. His hands smoothed down the lapels of the jumper, ignoring the way his own breath seemed to catch when his hands ghosted over Michael's pecs. Thankfully, he wasn't called out on it, instead being rewarded with a hand tilting his chin upwards enough for Michael to seal their lips together. 

Jason felt the shakiness of Michael's exhale more than he heard it, but was more interested in the way Michael's head tilted to deepen the kiss and the feeling of the hand on his chin slipping downward to take a rather gentle hold on his waist. It only took another ten seconds or so for Michael to guide Jason's arms around his neck before returning his own to Jason's waist. 

Less than a minute later, Jason had his back against a wall with Michael's own body pinning him with his weight. Neither seemed to mind too much, instead choosing to savor the contact they knew they couldn't share under the watchful eye of Pamela. 

Michael's soft huffs- was he  _really_ laughing right now?!- were the only warnings he got before Michael broke the kiss, making Jason flail as he was lifted by the waist and carried towards the bed. He felt his whole body jostle as he was unceremoniously dropped, laughing as Michael made himself comfortable by placing each knee on either side of Jason's hips. 

His lips tasted just as good the second time they began to kiss, and Jason was more than eager to relax under the taller's gentle touch. 

Both of them shot apart when the bedroom door creaked open, with Michael's horrified gaze meeting Cynthia's look of utter shock. Her slack jaw closed after a few seconds as she nodded slowly. "Alright then... Dinner's gonna be ready in five, and I didn't see shit. Try to _lock_ _a door_ next time big bro."

She  _immediately_ turned on her heel, closing the door behind her. Michael slowly readjusted to sit on the bed beside an equally embarrassed Jason, his hand covering his mouth as his elbow rested on his knee. Jason slid out of the bed, unable to beat down his flush as he locked the bedroom door. 

Michael was laughing with that same look of embarassed horror on his face by the time Jason turned to face him once more. 

When he climbed back into the bed beside Michael, he pulled Michael's lips back to meet his own. It certainly lightened the mood, but both of them were laughing too hard to really get back into the proper mindset to enjoy a pre-dinner make-out. 

Once they had calmed themselves, Michael took off his overalls before they went downstairs. Cynthia was grinning like a fox the whole time, asking them all sorts of questions relating to how camp went, and  _if they enjoyed themselves-_  

Michael was so tempted to dump his water right on her head and he  _knew_ that she knew it. 

She wouldn't have left so fast after dinner if she _didn't_ know. But- _**apparently**  -_she had plans with friends. Judith offered to take her over to Annie's house, as she was only visiting and had to go home to her husband. Annie's was right on the way, and Cynthia accepted the offer happily. With his father working late and his mother telling deciding they would need more groceries for two growing boys, the two shared a grin- a house to themselves.

She left just as they finished up the dishes, leaving them to their own devices in a strangely silent home.

Jason felt his cheeks flush as Michael drew the curtains and turned on the TV. 

That catlike grace kicked in as he approached the couch, and Jason could feel the heat rising to his face. Michael sat- more like slid- into the seat beside him, immediately cupping his chin and pulling him close. 

It was intoxicating to have Michael so close for a third time that night. He could taste the pulled pork on their tongues, shivering as the spice of the Myers Family Secret Sauce combatted with the heat of Michael's slow exhales. He could feel himself shiver as a hand crept up his thigh, pulling his leg over Michael's own. 

He lost his balance shortly after, pulling Michael down with him as his back hit the cushion. Michael immediately grinned and hitched Jason's leg up a little higher. There was barely any hesitation before it was slipping around Michael's own thigh in time with a pleased sigh escaping their joined lips.

It took a bit of time for things to truly heat up, but by the time the television had changed shows Michael's lips had shifted to kiss along his jaw and throat. The feeling of teeth and tongue marking the joint of his neck and throat was a strange feeling, but it wasn't one he was opposed to. Instead, he allowed his head to be coaxed to the side as he tangled a fist into loose strands of gold. Michael seemed to like the idea, guiding his other hand to join its brother in the name of gaining a heated puff of air that signaled a groan. He purposefully gripped a little tighter, grinning to himself as Michael's grip on his hips tightened and his shoulders rolled with growing tension. 

Jason took a deeper breath and pulled harder- Michael's lips were forcefully removed from his neck with the force of the pull. The strange noise from last year had returned, and with it came a strange look in Michael's eye. Their lips met again with greater fervor and both found that the more heated kisses were far more desirable than the usual chaste pecks that they shared. It took Jason a few seconds to notice exactly how tender his throat had become, and it was still embarrassing to admit to himself that Michael had probably given him a pretty good mark.

At the end of it all, if was going to be honest, he had _no idea_ what they were supposedly watching when Michael heard a car pull in.  

That was when Michael broke the kiss that they had been sharing-Jason had to fight to suppress the shudder as Michael's tongue caressed his one last time before retreating. Jason barely managed to change it to a more fitting channel- as if they would ever watch the jazzercise station  ** _willingly_** \- before Deborah opened the door to ask for help carrying things in. 

Both helped her without hesitation. With the groceries carried in and their goodnights said, the two disappeared upstairs once more. The only difference between this night and all the others was the fact that Michael had come up behind him as he had pulled his shirt over his shoulders, ready to button it until Michael's hands slid up to squeeze his shoulders and drag it back down. His lips touched Jason's neck once more before he was slowly spun to face Michael.

This time, he made sure the door was locked before he fell back onto the bed. 

Jason was shy at first, but he thoroughly enjoyed returning the favor for the darkening hickey on his throat- In particular, he liked the wheezing groans that escaped Michael's lips, and the way he desperately gripped the sheets whenever teeth bit a little harder than they probably should. 


	5. Reluctant Acceptance

With their 16th- and 17th, for Jason- birthdays behind them, the two were more than ready to begin their first camp as counselors. Their lists had been mailed off well in advance of the deadline, and Evan had been more than happy to call them both to get a further explanation. As the owner, he was genuinely excited to hear the ideas of Crystal Lake's most enthusiastic campers. Cynthia had talked his ear off for a good ten minutes, but she eventually got around to translating for an amused Michael. 

When Michael flew out to Jason's a week later, he was barely able to contain his grin. He had overcome yet  _another_ growth spurt since they had last met, and knew Jason would be more than a little pouty at his towering 6'8". _Especially_ since Jason hasn't grown past 6'5, and he had been rather content with one-inch difference (in his favor, of course) between them that was maintained before Michael's birthday. 

He _loved_ the way Jason pouted when he came in for the hug, only to realize Michael loomed over him now. It was so hard to resist the urge to tip Jason's chin upwards to kiss him in the middle of the airport, but Michael managed to restrain himself.

He was honestly _proud_ that he managed to keep that urge under wraps until long after they had eaten dinner with Pamela, taken their showers- even past when they finally locked themselves in the room and dressed for bed. But that was as long as he would wait.

Jason barely had time to turn toward him before Michael's hands caressed his jaw.

With Jason's little noise of approval setting his stomach rolling, Michael pulled Jason even closer by the elastic in his sweatpants. Jason eagerly responded with sliding his fingers into Michael's hair.

By the time they were breathless, Michael was thoroughly pleased with how disheveled Jason looked.

However, the look in Jason's eye had him tilting his head with concern.

Jason's softer hands only hesitated for a second before sliding off his shoulders.

_What are we?_

Michael to several seconds to think, running his hand through the messy brown waves before lowering his hand to stroke Jason's cheek with his thumb. His head tilted as he thought it over.

_Together?_

Jason's smile made Michael's heart skip a beat. He was pushed slightly- more of a coaxing nudge than a true push- to sit on the bed, but he recovered fast enough to pull Jason's body atop his as Michael laid on his back.

Jason's lips felt as good as the weight of the elder resting atop him, and Michael found himself unnaturally content with the way they tangled together.

When they had settled with Jason curled securely in his arms, it was easy for Michael to drift off and let sleep overtake him.

It was several hours later when Pamela knocked on the door- Jason was still unconscious, but Michael found the way Jason's clothes crumpled with his usual restless sleep far too cute to wake him when Michael himself awoke an hour ago- Jason was as embarrassed as always when the grogginess cleared and he made the same realization.

Michael lounged in the bed, watching Jason flutter around the room before standing in front of him with his hands on his hips. His attempts to coax Michael out of bed verbally failed in favor of Michael smiling and curling deeper under the covers- just to be difficult.

To be honest, Michael _loathed_ lounging in bed in the mornings- _**especially** _when he knew he wouldn't fall back asleep. He knew there was no point in wasting the time- but here, with Jason's quilt draped over him as Jason himself tried his best at his very own 'Pamela Face', he was _content_ to laze about. If Jason would stay with him, Michael knew he would stay in bed the entire day. 

Instead, he was coaxed from the warmth of the sheets with a series of kisses and gentle pulls, which he followed like a massive housecat stalking toward a bowl of warmed milk. The temptation and desire pulled him upwards, and Michael couldn't help but compare it to  _The Thing._

Realizing that Jason held the same power with a simple smile, or a chaste press of lips to skin, was a bit of a dangerous revelation- but he knew this power wouldn't draw him to the blade. 

For the first time in her life, Pamela had to knock twice. This time, Jason had immediately gone to open the door- Michael tried his best to look drowsy. Pamela seemed to be amused, coming forward to ruffle his hair- shaking his head from side to side between her hands in the process to 'help wake him up'. Michael had laughed it off, finally freeing himself from the tangle of blankets with a legitimate yawn. 

Content with the reason for their absence, Pamela coaxed Jason downstairs to give Michael some privacy as he dressed. 

Pamela might have missed the look Michael had received due to leading Jason out, but Michael himself did not. Thankful for years of living with two sisters, he was able to dip into the restroom to take care of himself before either noticed his prolonged absence. With exhaustion creeping over him as he leant against a wall, he couldn't help but wonder if Jason thought of him during these private moments, or if he was alone in this desire.  

He didn't take much longer for himself, finishing with his morning routine and making his way to the kitchen. 

When he got there, Michael could understand why Pamela had been eager for them to come out of the bedroom.

Pamela had been adventurous this morning- an entire pan of homemade biscuits with a boat of white gravy, sitting beside a plate of crispy strips of bacon and a laughably large stack of pancakes. It was a grand feast to accompany the morning discussion- the submitted ideas for the camp. Pamela was simply thrilled with the ten ideas Jason had thought of, and the seven for Michael. All of which, with dedication and early mornings, could be completed before this summer's end. 

Evan was even more thrilled than the boys were when they arrived a few days early to start working on the hiking trail they had come to love so dearly.

Michael was _convinced_ that Bubba would enjoy the evening walks as much as they had in their younger years.

It was when they had all met up at the main lodge early in the morning- with a brave kiss snuck while Pamela was in the shower- that Michael swore his heart completely stopped.

Evan had handed Jason a rather sharp machete, which looked far too fitting in Jason's hands. 

Michael hadn't even noticed Evan was talking, far too enamored with the way Jason's hockey mask and broad frame made the Jason he usually saw-

_sweet, gentle, **kissable Jason**_

-quickly turn to something that could be truly terrifying if his will was applied properly. It wasn't until Evan had snapped his fingers- drawing his attention to three concerned people standing close to him- that Michael had broken his gaze. 

His cheeks immediately flushed as his hands moved quickly. 

_Jason, you look like the star of a slasher film. Ghostface much?_

Jason immediately burst into laughter, doing his best to square up and look threatening- god it worked in more ways than one- which caused Evan and Pamela to both notice how true the statement was. 

Jason's giggles broke the facade.

_Did I scare you?_

Michael couldn't help but be truthful.

_A little bit, yeah. It threw me for a loop seeing a kitten like you with a knife that big._

Jason had joked with him the entire time they cleared the pathway. The first moment they had both Evan and Pamela's back to them, Michael had tapped Jason's shoulder.

_You look fucking hot like that._

Jason's embarrassed sputtering had Pamela's attention, but Michael's laughter had her smiling. Jason refused to tell her what was said, preferring to flip Michael off. 

He laughed harder as Jason was promptly chastised for the rude act. 

Unable to resist, Michael winked next time they made eye contact. 

Jason had  _almost_ hit his hand with the machete, and Michael had to sit down for a moment to collect himself as Evan rolled his eyes.

Jason eventually had to join him, as his own laughter had begun to make his breath hitch. 

Both of them missed Pamela and Evan's shared amusement in favor of resting their heads together and snickering like schoolgirls. 

After they had collected themselves, they took a moment to admire how much of a beast Evan himself was with his cleaver- by the end of the evening, half the trail was clear. 

* * *

In the end, Drayton was glad that they had decided to drive Junior all the way up to this godforsaken place. He was growing like a weed, but was already so much better at controlling his temper- often using his hands to say that Michael and Jason wouldn't like it if he misbehaved. 

However, _he_ didn't like that it was a bunch of fuckin' strangers making his baby brother feel better about himself- that should be done by the _family_. Junior shouldn't want or **need** anyone but a _**Sawyer** _to make him feel at home.

But- Ma wanted him to go. That stupid officer- the one that didn't know how to leave them be- wanted him to go.

So, they loaded their asses up two days before camp started and made a beeline out to New Jersey. 

Junior nearly vibrated with his excitement the whole way there, clinging to that stupid taxidermied armadillo.

When Drayton pulled up to camp, he had half expected Nubbins to be lying- but lo and behold, two of the biggest son of a bitches he had ever seen stood near the campfire, talking to themselves using the same hand motions as Junior-

Whoooo had just launched himself out of the car, running full speed toward the pair. Great.

The commotion of Junior's oncoming approach had the two beasts turning towards them. The blue of the tallest's eyes had Drayton fighting the urge to yank Junior's fat ass back into the truck and speed away as fast as it could go. 

Instead, he took a breath and clenched his hands around the wheel as Junior was lifted into a hug by that same young man. 

For a guy, the blonde had a pretty cute smile. And a good pair of arms too, considerin' how easily he plucked Junior up and dropped him into the other one's. He got out of the car as Junior squealed, the ugly ass brunette spinning him in a circle. 

He was greeted with a wave. 

Blondie's hands moved at him in that hand talk.

_Hi, I'm Michael. Are you Bubba's brother?_

"Ohh, you're the sonoffa bitch that got him started on that. Yeah, I'm his brother, Drayton."

Michael had smiled, but it didn't quite meet his eyes.

Drayton was _keenly_ aware of the height difference between the two, as it was the first time he had ever truly felt... small _._ This beast had to be closing in on seven foot, and with eyes like that, Drayton felt like a pig in the processing room. 

_**He didn't like it one bit.** _

Even the ugly one loomed when he straightened up to full height, with gold-flecked green-brown meeting his gaze with a naturally twisted smile. 

Junior led that one to the truck, and he helped grab Junior's bags. 

"Yer gonna take care of 'em, right? He don't have _family_ up here, ya know."

_I'll always take care of him, even when he's not here. He's a good kid._

"Why don't you fuckin' talk?"

The beast shrugged.

 _Haven't been able to since I was six._ _Everything works fine, but the words won't come out._

Drayton chuffed a laugh. "Sounds like yer a little fucked in the head, donn'it?"

His laugh stopped when Michael's empty smile returned. 

_Have a good trip home, Drayton._

He was fairly certain he had never left a place that fast in his life. 

* * *

Bubba  _adored_ the hiking trail- even if it took a few more days to actually clean it up to the point where they could walk all the way around the lake. He found himself looking forward to the post dinner downtime, sitting on a newly-restored pier at the far end of the lake.

Away from everyone who teased him for his size, and often with the two that made him feel better about himself.

It hadn't taken long for the walks to develop a purpouse- Michael was teaching him how to swim! A slightly useless skill, given how little Texas had in terms of swimmable water, but it was more for the enjoyment anyway.

Jason never joined them in the water, choosing instead to watch from the pier and ensure they had clean, dry clothes waiting when they climbed out of the lake. 

Bubba never did understand why Jason always kept his eyes trained on Michael as he slid out of his shirt and jeans. He decided not to care, as Michael obviously didn't- it's not like he didn't know, either. Michael had to know, because he always smiled when he handed Jason his folded clothes. 

He also didn't know why Michael liked to swim to the side of the pier that Jason would sit on, pulling himself up to rest his head on his arms- why bother getting his hair all wet when he was just going to stay above water anyway?!

Bubba eventually stopped wondering, as he was getting good at swimming. He even floated _all by himself_ once!

They had celebrated with chili that night, and Bubba had fallen asleep pressed into Jason's side when they had settled beside the campfire.

He woke up in his bed early the next morning, with the smell of Breakfast floating through the air. It only took a few minutes to get himself together, but he eventually stepped into Pamela's domain. 

Michael and Jason weren't there- they had left for their morning walk.

Pamela pointed him down the hiking trail with a smile-. If he hurried, he could catch up with them.

He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, until he needed to slow down to breathe. 

He found them out at the pier, with their feet in the water and one of each of their hands tangled together. 

Bubba decided Michael's hair was pretty when it was pulled up like that- with his bangs free to sway in the breeze, and longer segments that fell free of the elastic dangling over his ears. He couldn't help but wonder if they were actually loose strands, or if they had been knocked free by the same hand that caressed Michael's jaw.

He waited patiently for them to notice him- he was used to waiting, Ma didn't like being interrupted mid-stitch. He didn't mind it anyway, as he enjoyed watching Michael tilt his head into Jason's palm. 

He did get a little confused when Michael brought his own hand up to hold Jason's to his cheek, turning his head just enough to press a kiss to the heel of his palm. Those kisses continued in the smallest increments, moving ever closer to Jason's bare wrist.

Bubba found Michael's face halarious when he had _finally_ noticed the right yellow jacket in the corner of his eyes. Even funnier was his reaction- he had almost fallen off the pier! 

He had quickly been welcomed between them as the two tried to clear the color of embarassment from their face. 

_Why did you touch his face like that?_

Jason and Michael immediately shared a look. It was Michael's hands that moved first, without the slightest hesitation. 

_Because I love him._

Jason's cheeks went red as Bubba smiled brightly.

_Why don't you snuggle up at the camp then? Julie and Frank do it all the time!_

Jason ruffled his hair. 

_Because. Some people don't like it when two boys love each other. We can get in a lot of trouble, so we're trying to keep it a secret._

Bubba's quiet 'ohhhhh' had Jason grinning. 

_Think you can keep our secret bubby? Even from mom?_

He grinned widely with a nod, sipping his mouth shut with an invisible zipper. 

Both teens shared a look of relief.

Thankfully, he was very,  _very_ good at keeping secrets. He had even become their own personal helper- He was eager to spend time away from those that teased him, and didn't mind in the slightest if Jason decided to lay his head on Michael's shoulder while they sat on the pier, or if Michael brought Jason's knuckles to his lips whenever they were hidden by the trees. As long as they didn't kiss in front of him- cooties were icky, even if it was another boy that caught them.

By the end of summer, the trio had grown closer than ever. Bubba enjoyed the bracelet he had made with all three of their names laid out in beads- Michael had helped him make the three layers and tie them all together, giving him one cohesive bracelet that he could use to remind him of camp during the long winter months. 

He took to fidgeting with the beads over the winter, already awaiting the next summer as he waved goodbye from the truck window. Nubbins took quick notice of how Junior wasn't clinging to that damn armadillo.

* * *

Finally back in Haddonfield after nearly two months, Michael sprawled out on his bed. In the time it took him to take two deep breaths, Jason had locked the door, swung a leg over his hips, and put his goalie mask on the bedside table. 

To Michael, this was the single best moment of the entire year. He liked going to Jason's house- it was glorious to have a house to straighten up and clean, and  _oh so satisfying_ to make it smell like artificial lemons. He also liked to see Pamela and help her out, especially with camp preparation. But... he definitely preferred when _Jason_ would come to _him_. 

Here, the neighbors didn't stare. They didn't even look at him half the time, so they truly didn't care about his deformed friend. (He knew in his heart that they feared him, but he truly didn't care.)

Here, Jason's mother didn't knock on the door nearly every hour, and wake them at the crack of dawn each day.

Here, they were free to hide out and simply enjoy the simple company of each other- to fill the desperate need to touch with lips and wandering hands. 

Here, they were only interrupted by his mother calling from the foot of the stairs, or Cynthia knocking and telling them if they didn't come down to the table they weren't getting any dinner. 

They were free to enjoy one another without any real risk of exposure, and Michael could finally understand why so many of his classmates seemed to be obsessed with relationships.

That was the main reason Michael now sported a massive hickey, just above his shoulder- barely hidden by the collar of his shirt.

The _only_ thing that _possibly_ beat the liberation from watchful eyes, was actual 'hangouts'. Jason liked listening to all the music his mother wouldn't allow, like the newer bands like ABBA and Queen. Michael liked watching Jason talk about all the little things in his day, often interrupting him to bring surprisingly soft hands to his lips when he could no longer resist the urge to whisper wordless affection into the soft skin. 

He was certain he had Jason's hands memorized by the time his birthday rolled around. 

That day had started rather... _well_. Cynthia had greased the floor in front of his door, starting off the annual birthday pranks with flair. He was in the process of administering a noogie when Judith arrived with her husband, immediately sighing and breaking them up for her hug.

Watching the Myers siblings made Jason want a little brother or sister of his own- right up until Cynthia started her shtick again. The ongoing antics continued as he helped Deborah in the kitchen, then everyone remained distracted until Michael's father finally showed up after work. His tardiness was easily explained, as Michael's boss greeted them from the door. 

His boss had just purchased a new car- a Baby Blue Plymouth Valiant- and  _knew_ Michael would want to see it. It took no time at all for the car fanatatic to rise to the surface, and Michael was quickly under the hood to ask all manner of questions.

Jason and Cynthia watched from the balcony as Michael utterly _gushed_ over the car. Assembly fresh with less than 30 miles on it, it was the newest car Michael had _ever_ seen. It was both the fastest and slowest hour Jason had ever experienced in his life. 

Max- Michael's Boss, who _never_ went by his birth name of Richard- stayed for dinner and cake. The chicken and dumplings were gone in record time, and Cynthia took the liberty of embarrassing Michael with a purposefully off-key rendition of the infamous 'happy birthday' song. 

After dinner, Michael got to open his presents. He never got very many- mostly because he never really _wanted_ anything but Jason in the chair beside his own- so the gifts were more sentimental and whimsical than what one would expect. 

Judith had gotten him a replacement VHS of  _The Thing_ \- his had finally worn out a month before camp.

Cynthia had gotten him (and Jason, obviously) tickets to the drive-in tonight.

His parents gave him a card with a surprising amount of cash. That one had confused him. He had looked up to them with a questioning expression, silently making sure this wasn't an accident. 

Don had laughed. "Trust me, You'll need it for all the fees tomorrow."

The look of confusion increased with a head tilt. 

Michael's boss dangled a set of keys in front of his face.

It took about ten seconds for Michael's eyes to widen as he dropped the card, his hands coming to cover his mouth.

The entire room- except Jason, who hadn't quite caught on yet- burst into laughter. Richard pulled one of Michael's hands from his mouth, placing the keys in his fist and curling long fingers around it. Michael continued to sit in shock, his eyes bouncing between his fist and the two older men. 

"Oh come on Mikey boy, you really think I would come here and bug you on your birthday to show you  _my_ new car?" 

Jason finally caught on as Cynthia clapped. "You've got your own wheels, big bro! You've been good on your meds, and it's more than time you had a little more responsibility- especially with how much you've been saving with your job!" 

Jason bumped his shoulder against Michael's as Deborah smiled. "If I were you two, I would skedaddle- you'll miss your movie if you don't!" 

Jason had to physically pull Michael to his feet- much to Cynthia's amusement- to get him out of his shock. 

Michael's first reaction was to wrap his father in a bear hug, lifting him off the ground as the keys dangled from his index knuckle. 

His hair was ruffled as he was coaxed to the door. "Go on, it's Saturday night. You'll need about half that cash to get everything put in your name tomorrow, but the rest is usual birthday spending money. Be quiet when you come in, I'm not waiting up for you."

Jason was grinning as Michael set his seat, but quickly started to laugh as Michael spent a full two minutes alternating between disbelief and utter amazement- it was particularly cute how he kept running his hand over the dash and steering wheel, only to drop his grip to the gear shift. The hand quickly returned to cover the ear-to-ear smile as he looked to Jason with a clear question in his eyes.

_Is this actually real?_

They rather enjoyed having a little more privacy as they watched the Texas Chainsaw Massacre on the drive-through's big screen. Michael couldn't help but laugh at Jason's obvious intolerance for horror, but took the opportunity offered by his  ** _very own car_ **to take Jason's hand in his own. When the movie ended, he didn't let go.

Instead, their hands stayed intertwined as they drove through Haddonfield, and into the neighboring town- then to the neighboring county, sharing smiles as they made their way to one of the more secluded teenage hotspots. 

Knowing there was a football game tonight, Michael had been able to pick one with a great view of the star-scattered sky out the back window and a broken streetlight to keep the sky unobscured.

Settling in the back seat proved to be amusing, with Michael stretching out and Jason settling his back against Michael's chest. It was far too comfortable with Michael's knees framing his own while his hands played with the ones resting on his stomach.

It took less than ten minutes for the sheer privacy of a state park late at night to draw their lips together as they sat in the backseat. The stars were the only witness as the sweet kisses progressed into something a little more desperate- a little more daring as the two ventured into the realm of teeth and tongue. Jason's shifting to his knees gave Michael room to slide down, settling with his back against the leather seat. 

Jason felt his heart racing as he took in how pale Michael was against black leather seats, his hair splayed out and drooping off the edge of the seat like the branches of a weeping willow. 

This was when shy hands took the opportunity to roam, exploring everything they had been offered hundreds of times before- and quickly deciding to roam a little lower than usual. 

Jason had gasped as warmer hands gripped his knees, sliding along his jeans until fingers slid into the belt loops on his waist. A quick tug had them breaking the kiss in a soundless moan, accompanied by the sound of a shoe scrambling against the floorboard to counteract the jolt of pleasure. 

Another mutual roll of hips ensured the act was useless. 

A new hickey on Michael's neck and a set of claw marks down his own side later, Jason watched Michael's body seize with pleasure or the first time. The arch of his back and the strangled sound of captured air had Jason trembling in return, watching in amazement as Michael became pliant under his touch.

He swore he had a heart attack when he met his own end, clinging to Michael with trembling hands as he desperately tried to keep himself somewhat quiet. He wanted to hear every bit of Michael- his heartbeat, his gasps for air, the sound his sweats made as they slid along Jason's own jeans- not his own ragged breathing. 

It took them several minutes to find the will to move once the afterglow had set in, but the growing discomfort of dirtied pants eventually stirred them into action. Michael had held him close as he sat up, pressing his back against the door while pulling Jason in for another kiss. Unable to resist, he laughed as he squeezed Jason's rear- the squeak of surprise was utterly adorable.

The ride back to Haddonfield was filled with Elton John and an obviously radio-recorded copy of Queen's first album. At just before three am, the two snuck back into the house with wide grins. Neither noticed Cynthia and her Polaroid as she snapped a photo of their silhouettes slipping back into Michael's room, far too close together to be whispering. 

* * *

 Unable to fully satisfy the cravings for touch after the experience in the car, they took to sneaking as many moments as they could- a kiss when Deborah's back was turned, a brush of hands while watching movies with Judith, heated kisses when they were in the room across from Cynthia's, trying their damnedest to stay quiet and not wake Michael's family. 

Both silently agreed it was a good way to spend the nights, as the days were spent with Michael at the garage or in class. 

School was something Michael did not want to think about. The students had always treated him like an outcast, doing everything they could to make him look 'crazy' or simply get him in trouble. Teachers adored him for his quiet nature, which spawned even more friction between himself and his peers. He often chose to simply get done with everything as soon as possible, accepting that most- all- of any group presentations would have all the work carelessly pawned off on him. 

Michael just rolled his eyes, diligently working through the latest as he sat on the floor near the bed. Jason had perched himself on the edge of the bed, gently rubbing his shoulders and neck while occasionally bending to pepper kisses along the pale skin. Michael found himself dangerously content with the situation, taking 'breaks' whenever Jason's lips trailed up his jaw to tip his head back and claim a kiss of his own. 

By the time he dropped his pencil with no will to pick it up again, Jason had slid off the bed to kneel behind Michael, his teeth scraping along sensitive skin just under his jaw. Michael had to put a hand over his mouth to stay quiet when Jason's left hand dipped below his belt, his right sliding under Michael's shirt to caress whatever skin he could reach.

To his unending embarrassment, Cynthia pointed it out the next morning. Michael wore his hair down that day, hoping to get through school without anyone else noticing. Naturally, it failed _spectacularly_. 

Jason couldn't help but feel proud as Michael's 'mystery lover' became the talk of the town. When Michael's mother caught word of it, Jason had immediately fessed up- kind of. After all, 'he didn't want to be embarrassed when he finally got a girlfriend and didn't know how to kiss! Michael had offered to help him is all, it was just an accident!' Michael had shrugged it off, thankful for his usual indifference helping to play their story. 

Deborah had taken the cover with a giggle and a warning to be more careful- people didn't take well to odd behavior around here. Michael was simply impressed that Jason was able to actually pull off the half-lie, ensuring the favor was returned with embarrassing interest. They had snickered the entire way to the airport, with one of Michael's scarves protecting Jason's mottled throat from sight. 

Waving him off from the safety of the security line, Michael knew that was the last time he would ever be able to call that green scarf 'his'.

The long drive from Chicago to Haddonfield seemed even longer with an empty car, and Michael began his usual countdown- eight more months, eight more months... 

* * *

Less than two months in, the scandal of Michael's hickies had moved to the back burner- but was certainly not forgotten. Over the time, a few girls had proudly proclaimed _they_ had been the one to administer the marks- but were quickly weeded out and shamed as liars. 

Michael and Cynthia  _lived_ for the drama around it all, gossiping like true Illinoians about all the juicy theories they had heard- and the plots to find out who it was.

Just before Christmas break, Cynthia had finally been cornered in the hall by a group of teens enlisted by their older siblings. Ben Tramer was at the forefront of the latest ploy, and Cynthia had been pissed at him for quite some time.

For some reason, this boy was obsessed with knowing Michael's personal life- he had even made out with Annie just to find out that Cynthia knew who gave Michael the hickey! It had caused quite the fight, and the youngest Myers found herself happy she hadn't divulged the full story to Annie. 

As Ben flicked his bangs out of his face, a thirteen-year-old Cynthia couldn't resist her own flirtatious grin as Ben cocked his hip and looked her up and down. "Heya _Angel_ , I got a question for ya."

She tilted her head, biting back her laugh. She already knew what he was going to ask- Michael had heard it in the halls of the locker room, and they had a  _plan_.

"You wouldn't happen to know who's been crawling into your big brother's bed, now would you? I've got a present under the bleachers for whoever does...~" 

The sing-songed ending had a few giggles slipping free from her chest. No wonder Michael had given her side-eye when she admitted that she found him cute. Stupid as they come, but cute. "Oh, of course I know!"

The excitement of Ben and his cronies was _tangible_.

Ben tried his best to look coy, but looked mildly constipated instead. "You think you could tell me? I _promise_ I can keep a secret."

Cynthia looked up as if she was considering it, putting a hand on her hip and tapping her lip thoughtfully. A quick up-and-down had her coaxing him closer with a crooked finger. Trying to resist laughing was far too difficult- but rising to her tiptoes to whisper in his ear was easy. She knew the inhale he took was full of the perfume she had stolen from Judith, specifically to be worn until someone cornered her like this. 

"The one who shit on your dad's pool table while you were tied up naked in a closet."

She laughed as she shoved him down onto his ass, the entirety of the hall bursting into surprised laughter. The throwback to a particularly bad party was one it had been silently agreed not to mention, as the police had never actually found out which drunk teen had done the acts. Ben himself had been far too drunk to remember, and had gotten in _massive_ trouble for it.   

She flipped her hair as she walked away, making sure to put a  _little_ extra sway in her hips. Ben immediately called her a bitch, prompting her to toss a peace sign up beside her head before lowering her index finger.

 _That_ should teach him to kiss her friends as a ploy to get at her. 

When Michael found out, he had had never offered to take her out to lunch faster in his life, laughing too hard to even consider staying home and relaxing for his day off. They had shared an Ice Cream toast in the name of sibling secrecy.

Annie's ongoing attempts to find out who did nothing but drive a wedge between the two girls, especially when she interrupted said dessert by trying to flirt with Michael. The elder's disturbed look was almost as bad as Cynthia's when she found out that Ben was now dating Annie. 

By the time Cynthia returned to class after break, she and Annie weren't talking at all. It only worsened when Cynthia was offered to graduate at the end of the year, as she was far too advanced to spend another year in middle school. 

Cynthia made up for the sudden lack of social support- many of her friends seemed to like Annie more, convinced they couldn't be friends with both- by offering her spare graduation tickets to Jason and his mother, with Michael offering to buy the plane tickets. 

Two weeks before the big day, Michael and Cynthia skipped school in the name of a 'Siblings Day Out'- the morning was spent dress shopping, getting everything a young lady could possibly want for her eighth-grade graduation. The evening was spent lounging in the exit terminal of the airport, with a Michael who tried to hide his grin behind his hand most of the time. Unable to resist, Cynthia had immediately taken to teasing him- in sign language of course. It's not like anyone could understand what they were saying unless they were fully fluent...

Even then, there were a  _lot_ of gestures invented by a pair of siblings who had been using this far too long.

 _You are so cute when you're waiting for him. It's like watching a big puppy!_  

Michael rolled his eyes.

_I can't help it! I have one friend, and I only get to see him for a little while._

Cynthia  _immediately_ mirrored the gesture. 

 _Michael, **I**_ _have friends- **you** have a boyfriend. _

The flush that crossed his cheeks had Cynthia laughing hard enough to earn a few glances.

 _Oh my god, do you have_ **_no_**   _shame at all?!_

_Who needs shame when Judith told me what you guys do when you go on those loooong driiives~_

Michael's look was instantaneous and horrified. 

 _Okay, first thing- you are **thirteen!**_ _You don't need to know about that! And second thing- we haven't-_

His hands hesitated, but Cynthia was grinning like the demon she was. 

_Oh my god you are such a pussyfoot! How are we related!?_

_Shut uppp oh my god!_

The laughter had a pair of older ladies smiling at them, giggling between themselves as Michael pulled his beanie over his eyes. Cynthia was quick to steal it and lean back in her seat as she pulled it onto her own head. Michael huffed and put his chin on his palm to sulk. 

_Awww, come on Audrey! Step it up! Can't even steal your hat back!_

His hand immediately covered her own, and he just gave her a pleading look. 

_Who hurt you boo. Why are you like this already._

She grinned and set her head on his shoulder, purposefully pushing into him until he began to tip to the side. 

_The cold hard reality of life Michael, it's too much to bear!_

_Boo, stooop!_

_Never!_

Both laughed as she sat up, readjusting the stray strands that hung from beneath the cap. 

_But to be completely serious, I'm glad you guys are taking it slow. You'll end up like Mr. and Mrs. Holbrook if you rush everything._

Michael's hands fumbled before he gave a shaky  _thank you_ _?_ , averting his eyes to try to dispel his embarrassment. 

Cynthia simply smiled at him, putting her own head on her palm. 

_You're so in love, it's so cute. I hope I find someone that makes me feel that way someday._

Michael put his head on his knees, taking several seconds before tilting his head to give Cynthia an embarrassed grin. Cynthia returned it immediately, sitting up straight with a genuinely soft smile. 

_You guys should get married if it ever gets legal._

Michael's smile was genuine. 

_I plan to._

Cynthia was _still_ squealing when Jason and Pamela departed the plane. The little old ladies' grins fell when Jason pulled Michael into a spine-crushing bear hug before scooping Cynthia into his arms. Michael lifted Pamela's suitcase with a smile, squeezing her around the waist with one arm as she stretched to wrap her arms around his neck for her own 'hello'. 

They quickly left the airport after greetings were done, with Cynthia immediately launching into what the graduation plan was so far. Michael shared a smile with Jason behind her back, clenching and unclenching his fist to help curb the urge to stroke the stray lock of hair that was dangling in front of Jason's eyes behind his ear. 

Cynthia pulled Pamela into the back seat, drilling the happy mother with every question she could think of. 

Michael enjoyed the look of surprise when he pulled them into a rather nice steakhouse. 

Cynthia made it a personal mission to keep Pamela as distracted as possible while Michael and Jason had their own conversation across the table. Judging from how many times the waiter managed to scare them both, they did a poor job of acting 'chill'. 

It was still a nice dinner with the four of them, and an even better ride home with Cynthia singing along to literally every song that came on- even if she didn't know half of them. 

Pamela was politely offered Judith's now-empty room. Deborah thoroughly enjoyed having a 'gal pal' in the form of Deborah to talk to while Cynthia went to Meg's, and Michael and Jason disappeared up the stairs. 

Pamela gratefully accepted the hot tea gratefully, glancing upstairs as the sound of door softly closing echoed through the hall. "So, how much longer do you think it will take until they admit to us?"

Deborah rolled her eyes as she tried to hold back her smile. "Oh, you should have seen the hickies they gave each other last time they were down!" 

Pamela grinned as she took a long sip. " _Oh, I saw_. I believe Michael has lost a scarf as a result!" 

Deborah nodded and turned on the tv for some background noise, giving half her attention to an infomercial that tried to sell some perfume Deborah knew she would never even consider buying, but would probably end up with a bottle once her husband heard of it. 

Pamela's eyes turned upwards once more when Jason's laughter rang out upstairs, followed by some kind of muffled  _thump_ -the laughter increased in volume _instantaneously_.

The sudden cutoff of the laughter, followed by extended silence had both women breaking down into giggles. 

"I'm just happy that they're comfortable with each other. Lord knows that they need something in their lives that isn't just hate and prejudice." Deborah nodded as she took a long sip. 

"I agree. Those two need each other like a fish needs water! Did you hear that Michael plans on introducing Jason to his therapist?"

Pamela hummed a noise of approval as she tilted her head. "I haven't, but that seems sweet! I've been more concerned with the conversations I've heard about _college_."

Deborah sighed heavily and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh don't I know it- Michael  _still_ can't decide where he wants to go! His father wants him to go to U of I, but I would personally vote for Eastern- both are pretty close to here, but I feel Michael would do better in a slightly smaller school. Michael has been thinking of going to a college in New Jersey, and we  _both_ know why." 

Both girls giggled, sharing a look. Pamela finished her tea before nodding slowly, taking a deep breath. "As much as I want to have him beside me forever, I know when Michael makes his decision, Jason will follow him."

Deborah smiled as she set her own mostly-empty cup down. "Oh don't I know it. Michael would do well with a roommate anyway, so I know for a fact he's going to offer it to Jason. That boy would probably work full-time with a full class load just to have Jason in the same state as him."

Pamela laughed. "Certainly! It makes it a little less hard to let Jason go knowing he's with someone that  _accepts_ him, but as a mother-"

Deborah joined in with her own grin as she spoke in near unison with Pamela. _" " you always worry." "_

Both women smiled even wider, if it was possible, both watching with mild interest as the television switched to a game show. "I've been considering signing Jason up for disability. If he's going to be leaving my little nest soon, I don't want him to be penniless and relying on the kindness of Michael- especially if that boy is going to be focusing on his schooling."

Deborah reached for the teapot to refill their cups. "Do you think he'll be accepted?" 

"He should- he  _does_ have a formal diagnosis of Hydrocephalus, which is the cause of his more... _special_ traits." Deborah nodded. "Well, at least he has that as an option. Many people don't."

Pamela sighed sadly. "I know." 

Another round of laughter rang out upstairs, bringing another smile to both women's faces. Deborah was silent for a long moment before she looked up to meet Pamela's gaze. "I'm happy you didn't pull Jason out of camp when I told you about Michael's breakdown... Or when we realized those two were becoming more than friends. I honestly can't imagine our lives being anything like they are today without you two in them." 

Pamela reached out to squeeze the hand that rested politely in Deborah's lap. "Debby, I couldn't do that to our boys- even if it scares me that Michael could be the reason my baby could disappear at any moment. I couldn't separate them, because every single time I went to tell Jason that he wasn't allowed back to Michael, that I was terrified for him- I would see that bright smile. I would hear his laughter. I would  _feel it in my soul_ ,  _every single time_ those boys shared a look that I saw in the reflection of one of the camp's pans." 

She paused to laugh, shaking her head and caressing the rim of her teacup with her thumb. "I knew it when I saw Michael holding my Jason close- when they thought I was still in the shower- kissing like they were at the altar. God guided them together Deborah, and no amount of preaching will ever convince me otherwise... I just hope Jason remembers to _call_  when he moves out!" 

Deborah squeezed Pamela's hand in her own, leaning forward with the kindest smile. 

"If you want to see a kiss, ask Cynthia to show you the picture from the night they came home at three a.m." 

Pamela immediately pulled her hands free to cover her face as she laughed. Deborah leant back in her chair as her own laughter joined in, reveling in the rejuvenated air of amusement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on a conversation I had with a friend of mine about when they came out to their very- *very*- religious parents. Props to you doll, you know who you are!


	6. Shiny and New

Michael took a deep breath as he lowered himself into the chair. He  _really_ didn't want to be here, but he knew he had to be- with graduation just around the corner, and his mother nagging him, Michael had conceded.

The girl seemed friendly enough. She and Cynthia had immediately hit off a slight friendship, gossiping as Michael let his hair down. 

Every girl in there was cooing at the length. 

Michael sighed as attention was turned to him.

"So, how short are we cutting this today?"

Michael grimaced at the sentence as Cynthia laughed at his reaction. 

* * *

Michael wasn't certain how to feel anymore. He was proud to donate 24 inches to a Chicago wig maker in the name of charity, but the air against the back of his neck was an eerie feeling. He couldn't stop touching the close snip of the back of his head- he couldn't even get a good grip on the back!-, running his hand through the shortness up to the longer fluff atop his skull. It still wasn't all that long- maybe three, four inches tops- but it was better than a simple buzz. He still had enough of a bang for his hair to get in his face though, and that was a simple comfort. 

Michael wondered if Jason would like it.

He had to wait an entire month of what felt like pure hell to find out. The other teens in his class tried their damnedest to get him expelled, _desperate_ to ruin his life one final time. His therapist had already spoken with the school board about the behavior, but the last two weeks Michael took to eating his lunch with Boo in the principal's office to avoid his classmates as much as possible. 

The best moment of his life so far- scholastically, of course- was when he was told he was the Valedictorian of his class. However, since he couldn't speak, he decided to ask a member of the faculty to read his speech for him. Giving his mother the news made him _ridiculously_ proud. Unable to resist, they agreed not to tell Jason- It would be far more amusing for him to find out at the ceremony. 

It took Cynthia all of five seconds to burst that bubble, throwing her arms around his neck and  _immediately_ telling the good news. Michael had laughed it off, smiling widely as Jason's eyes slid up to meet Michael's. Jason's smile slid to slack surprise as his hands slid from around Cynthia's waist.

His extra gentle side-step was more than enough to ensure he didn't accidentally step on Cynthia's feet, especially since his eyes didn't leave Michael's face. Large hands _immediately_ went to Michael's hair, caressing the side of his head with amazement. Michael's smile grew as Jason's attention to the outside world obviously tanked, focusing in on the softness that Michael shook slightly in order to encourage his exploration. When those hands hesitated to stroke through the fluffier top, Michael took Jason's hands in his own to guide them with an amused grin. The distraction lasted until Deborah cleared her throat, easily managing to surprise both while Pamela giggled behind them. 

Michael offered his keys to his mother, preferring to sit in the back and allow Jason to fully explore the professional-looking appearance. Jason spent the entire car ride with at least one hand in Michael's hair, his head resting on Michael's shoulder by the end of the extended trip. Immediately after parking in the driveway, the two boys slid out of the car to grab their bags and make a beeline for the front door. All three women turned to each other with grins, with Cynthia rolling her eyes and shaking her head in false exasperation.

Cynthia couldn't help but laugh when neither were in the living room. 

Michael couldn't help but laugh when Jason dropped his bag haphazardly on the floor beside the bedroom door, unconcerned with anything but Michael in that moment.

The hands were back in his hair seconds later, but this time bodies were pressed together as well. Michael tilted his head down to kiss the bridge of Jason's nose, smiling as a blush spread across Jason's cheeks. Jason took two steps back, locking his hands behind Michael's head to use as leverage to pull Michael along with him. Not that it was entirely  _n_ _ecessary_ for Jason to do so- Michael would have followed him with a look alone.

Even so, it only took a small sidestep for Michael's back to be the one to hit the mattress, and only a few seconds of shifting around for both to settle comfortably on the bed.

Jason's knees rested on either side of Michael's hips, giving him ample support as he stroked his thumbs across Michael's temples. The softer fluff on top seemed to be Jason's favorite part, as he kept running his fingers through it just to watch it flop to one side or the other. Michael knew that the stupid stupid grin Cynthia had formally trademarked as the  _'Jason Grin'_ had cemented itself on his face when his own hands smoothed along the fabric of Jason's jeans. 

Jason's hands eventually wandered downwards, caressing his cheeks and jaw in time with his oddly increasing breaths. Michael just kissed at digits when they wandered too close to his mouth, squeezing the thighs under his own touch. 

Unable to resist, Michael nipped at the thumb that kept running over his lips. 

Jason's muscles jumping was  _visible_. 

Immediately curious, Michael lifted his head slightly to catch the thumb between his teeth. 

Jason was still as stone when Michael laid his head back down, taking the boned digit with him. His tongue slid along the pad of the trapped finger, the wetness only accentuating the breath that washed over it seconds later. It took several more seconds for any sign of recognition to occur from Jason, coming in the form of the thumb in his mouth pressing down on Michael's tongue while the rest of his hand caressed Michael's jaw. The other hand came to rest against Michael's chest, and Michael  _knew_ Jason could feel his fluttering heart under his palm. 

Either way, he knew he had Jason right where he wanted him- the way their gazes never wavered was enough of a sign, but the sharp inhale when lips fully closed around their hostage was  _almost_ as delicious as the shudder when Michael suckled ever-so-softly. 

It was certainly interesting to have something inherently alive in his mouth- to feel the texture change as the skin naturally absorbed the saliva, to feel Jason's reaction centered toward their stomachs. 

His own breath was embarrassingly labored when he finally released the digit from it's hotter prison, giving the thumbpad one last kitten-lick before pressing his lips to the textured ridges. Jason's eyes still remained locked with his own as he coaxed the neighboring pointer finger past soft lips. Michael's hand came up to hold a slightly trembling wrist steady as his tongue coaxed the middle finger into his mouth as well, unable to resist his eyes fluttering shut when Jason's hips naturally surged forward as a response. 

Michael knew his own heated panting certainly wasn't helping the hardness between Jason's legs, but he had to worry about his own reaction at some point-  _especially_ when Jason's now constant grinding would occasionally rub him  _just_ right, causing his back to arch and his mind to blank. 

He _knew_ he was hopelessly head over heels for Jason after a particularly nice tingle went jolting up his spine. It was one that had his shoulders rolling, his head lolling back with a desperately quiet sigh of air. He hadn't even realized the fingers had slid from his mouth until he felt wetness stroking his throat, prompting his eyes to crack open to meet Jason's own. 

He knew he should be embarrassed of his appearance.

He had saliva dripping down his chin, panting like he had been forced to run ten miles without stopping. He knew his hair was helplessly mussed, he could feel the strands falling across his eyes in every direction-

But the color didn't meet his cheeks until Jason's fingers closed around his throat. He knew his eyes had widened in tandem with his grip on Jason's wrist tightening, but they _both_ felt the reaction it had on him.

Jason didn't let go of his throat when he bent down to claim Michael's lips as his own. 

He didn't let go when Michael's own grip tightened with increasing desperation and decreasing oxygen, his hips moving against Jason's at a steady rhythm. 

Michael was surprised at how his vision blacked out for a moment when he became a gasping, clawing shape of a man under Jason's hand, the world spinning around him as he made a mess of his boxers- part of his brain knew that Jason had come as well when a grunt was swallowed by his own lips. 

He could  _feel_  every centimeter of the skin on Jason's hands pulling away from his throat when his eyesight cleared, _finally_ allowing him to take a full gasp. He hoped Jason would always remember the way his heart hand undoubtedly pounded under his palm. 

One shy meeting of eyes later, both burst into breathless laughter that didn't stop until Michael pulled Jason down for their lips to meet. If Michael was going to be honest with himself, he was already gearing up to have another go when Cynthia's knock startled them. 

"Boys, wake up! Dinner's done!" 

Jason's horrified embarrassment had Michael muffling his wheeze into his pillow.

It was a rather quick cleanup- Michael preferred to take a shower after taking care of business, but years of living with sisters taught him the value of wet wipes and a clean pair of lounge pants. 

The way Jason caught him at the door to kiss his throat didn't help him calm down very much, but he wouldn't ever trade the gentle gesture for anything. 

To his undying embarrassment, Cynthia was the one to point out the bruises developing during graduation practice the next day. He had to bribe her with Ice Cream to keep her from telling mom why he suddenly decided to wear a tie to graduation after  _months_ of denying the need for a tie under the robe.

Jason found it  _endlessly_ amusing, but made sure to make his apology known each and every night with butterfly kisses along the damaged skin. Michael quickly realized that Jason was equally as enamored with his tongue, causing both to have equally flushed cheeks as the mutual implication was made obvious in their minds. 

The embarrassment never seemed to stop, even when they had gone for a celebratory movie the weekend after graduation- they hadn't actually made it to the theatre, instead grinning as they took the exit to their favorite spot.

Michael hadn't realized exactly how much Jason enjoyed the contrast of saliva to warm summer air until they had been getting rather handsy in the back of the car, and Michael had failed to resist the urge to lick a stripe up Jason's jaw. It was the first embarrassingly fast finish Michael had ever actually seen, but his amused giggles were quickly muted when a hand gripped his throat so tightly- so suddenly- that his head thumped against the car's backseat window. Michael assumed he shouldn't laugh anymore when Jason's other hand came up to tug at the hair on the back of his head, making his eyes cross slightly as his eyes closed. 

The car ride home was nothing more than embarrassed glances and mutual laughter to the sound of _Earth, Wind & Fire_'s new song 'That's the Way of the World'. Michael made sure to steal another kiss as they sat in the driveway, oblivious to Don's amused face peeking through the window. 

Pamela had to hide her grin behind her teacup when they gave a  _very_ brief hello, sharing a glance that  ** _screamed_** that they did not expect anyone to still be awake.

Jason's birthday- two weeks after graduation, and on Jason's favorite day of the week nonetheless!- was spent with a nice breakfast with Pamela before her flight that evening. The trio spent the whole day driving around, even going to a nearby state park to go for a hike. The evening was spent hidden away in Michael's room with meshing lips and hands wandering where they only would when alone. 

With a mischevious grin and a sleeping house, Michael rolled Jason onto his back. The way Michael loomed over him with relaxed shoulders and a lower lip caught in almost _unnaturally_ white teeth had Jason shuddering- but not fully trembling until Michael tilted to hover his lips just a centimeter away Jason's own. 

Just before he caved to take the first contact of lips, Jason blinked in surprise. Michael's teeth released his lip when that grin grew even more mischievous. It was the only real warning he got before lips met his cheek, his jaw, his throat, his collarbone- all the way down until Jason was staring up at the ceiling with his hands desperately covering his mouth. He wondered if he actually managed to stay remotely quiet when he was limp and trembling, watching Michael wipe the excess off his chin with his own darkened cheeks. When his muscles remembered how to work, Jason's fingers trailed up Michael's pant leg.

The embarrassed wheeze and thin hands covering a bright red face had Jason laughing his own embarrassment away. For some reason, it felt even better for Michael to rest his head on Jason's chest that night, taking deep breaths as a warm arm slipped itself around his waist.

The next morning, the pair loaded into the car to go to Michael's psychiatry appointment.  

By god above Michael was certain he would _never_ find his soul again when Sally caught sight of the mark on his throat, prompting him to introduce Jason with 'This is my boyfriend, and he made that mark. Please don't call the cops.' Jason spent more than half the appointment _audibly_  giggling in the hallway, making Michael wish the chair would eat him whole. 

Phillip had a far different reaction, sitting them down and  _having the talk with them._

This time, Michael didn't wait for the chair to eat him- he took to simply pressing his face into the nearest corner and **_refusing_ **to move it. 

Jason decided that he liked Michael's therapists. 

* * *

Bubba was  _shocked_ to see Michael's hair cut short. 

He was just as mystified as Jason had been, not even realizing he didn't have to stretch on the tippy top of his toes to touch it until several minutes after his initial greeting. It also took him several minutes to realize there was a young woman sitting close by- and about five more seconds to notice the similarity between her and Michael. 

Cynthia and Bubba became  _fast_ friends, even with four years between them. 

If they were completely honest, Michael and Jason were just happy to have an extra set of hands to watch Bubba whenever they ducked behind a tree to kiss each other stupid. 

Michael almost dropped a cup when he heard the pair talking amongst themselves very,  _very_ quietly by the end of summer, giggling and snickering like the children they were. 

Bubba's grin was wider than ever that last night at the farewell campfire, sitting beside Cynthia as he tried his very hardest to roast a marshmallow- the first one he toasted without burning went right on top of her graham cracker when she was looking towards Evan's grinning face. 

Michael and Jason had to hide their own grins when her cheeks flushed after she looked back down. 

* * *

As a trade-off for the graduation visit, Michael went to Jason's house for the weekend of his own birthday. He was honestly sad he couldn't stay longer than three days, but was still elated that he got to see Jason at all. 

In a rare change, they did nothing extracurricular on his birthday. Pamela got them a cake, and they simply sat around the house to enjoy each other's company while eating it and watching Hawaii Five-0. 

By the time Pamela had excused herself to bed, she was about to burst with laughter. They had apparently given up on acting proper, instead choosing to snuggle up under the blanket and absently watch the TV with Michael's head on Jason's shoulder. 

She made her choice to confront them the next morning, easing her way into the topic with a big breakfast. 

Michael's flight wasn't until tomorrow afternoon, meaning the two were nice and smoozy with each other when they woke up to the smell of bacon- Michael's favorite- and Biscuits and Gravy- Jason's favorite- flooding through the house. 

Pamela took a sip of her coffee to hide her grin as she noticed the unnaturally large hickey on Michael's throat that wasn't there the previous day, poorly hidden by a collared shirt. "Did you boys sleep well?"

Two nods, both with happy grins- and a stolen smile before both looked down to their plates. 

She didn't bother hiding her amused smile this time. "So, is the sex still good?"

Michael  _almost_ choked on his milk.

Jason  _did_ choke on a biscuit. 

Pamela had to hide her laughter behind her hand as Michael patted Jason's back, ensuring their romance wouldn't be cut short before red cheeks turned to her. 

_How long have you... **known**?_

Pamela smiled her most motherly smile. "I've known since your mother called to tell me what happened when your medication failed- how Jason was the only one to ever be able to calm you while in that state, even at the risk of his own safety."

Michael felt his blood run cold, but he swore he could _hear_ Jason's heart breaking as his eyes dropped to the table.

" 'M sorry ma. Didn' wan' ta scare ya s' all."

Pamela immediately reached across the small kitchen table, pulling Jason's eyes up by coaxing his chin out of his chest. "Sweetheart, I will never be upset with you protecting someone you love. I know why you did it- I was terrified for you when Deborah told me what had happened. I was hurt when I didn't hear it from you. But-" her hand smoothed over the misshapen side of Jason's face, smiling as warmly as possible. "-You protected someone you love. You didn't let those officers strongarm you into making things harder for Michael, and that was so brave of you."

Michael felt his stomach churn when she wiped tears away from Jason's eyes. "I know you didn't want to lie to me darling, don't cry." She was beside him in an instant, coaxing his head onto her chest as she soothed his hair. Over his shoulder, she smiled at a rather shy looking Michael. 

She knew she didn't need to speak when the corner of his lips upturned. 

It took a few moments for things to settle back down, and she smiled brightly as she caught the tail-end of a kiss when she reclaimed her seat. A bite from her favorite pancakes- blueberry, of course!- was the only prelude the boys got to Embarrassment Part II™. "So, when did you two  _finally_ open your eyes?"

Jason's head tilt before his eyes widened was the curest thing Michael had ever seen. Michael just held up ten fingers, before closing his middle, ring, and pinkie of his right hand underneath his thumb. 

"Sixteen, hmm? I guess I can finally tell Deborah what that commotion was then." Michael's hands immediately covered his face with a silent groan. His cheeks only reddened as Jason told his mother- _in embarrassing detail_ \- exactly how _that_ went down. Thankfully, he left out the... _little... details_  of their developing courtship. Michael was certain he would have melted if Jason had not. 

Still, it was oddly nice to not have to hide to show any affection to one another. They openly snuggled up on the couch to watch  _All In The Family_ , with Pamela's smile growing when Jason tilted his head to steal Michael's attention. By the time they said their goodnights, the normalcy had been happily tainted with gentle affection. 

It made it even harder for Michael to say his goodbye at the airport, smiling to both as he stepped past the security desk. He couldn't help but grin at the man asleep behind the desk. 

Coming home to the cold of Haddonfield was always pleasant- Michael loved fall, and everything associated with it, but he quickly missed the warmth of Jason's body against his own in the dead of night. 

* * *

 Early January was a surprisingly hellish in Illinois. The chance of snow was hit-or-miss at best, but the wind would cut through the poor Haddonfield inhabitants on the best of days. Michael had taken to wearing his coat out everywhere, even just to check the mail. Even with the bitter cold, his boss was happy he had taken a year to decide where he wanted to go to school- Michael was easily his hardest working employee, and Max was  _not_ looking forward to losing him. 

It was one of those bitterly cold mornings when he almost ran back in the door, his lower lip caught in his teeth as he went up to his mother.

As soon as she saw the envelope, she was calling Judith.

It was torture to wait until that evening when she got off work, but soon all the Myers- and one Myers-in-Law- gathered together in the living room. Cynthia had rung Jason, who was crowded by the phone with Pamela. Michael couldn't deny the slight tremble of fear in his hands as he took the letter opener from his father. 

Breaths were held as he looked over the contents of the envelope, but the growing grin had Cynthia mirroring it. Michael's beaming face earned a smile from his father as Don read it out loud.

In the fall, he would be attending Eastern Illinois Univerity. 

Preparations were the most exciting and terrifying things he could imagine- talking to housing, getting his waver so he could live in his own apartment (no one wanted to share a room with a schizophrenic, after all), beginning to buy all the little things to furnish said apartment- 

It took him less than a week after finding a place he liked to call Jason. 

His heart _pounded_ as Deborah talked to Pamela in the kitchen. 

Michael's knees went weak when his mom turned a wide smile to him. 

Summer came and went in a flash, with preparations finished before camp started. Cynthia joined them once more, excited to talk to Bubba once more.

They were the best of friends by the end of summer. Michael drove himself, Jason, Cynthia, and Pamela all the way back to Illinois at the end of summer.

Two weeks before school started, he and Jason drove into Charleston to get the keys to their apartment. 

The entire Myers Pack helped the two move in, with a proud Pamela crying almost as hard as Cynthia by the time the end of the day came. Jason's cheeks were held as he was reminded of everything he possibly could be reminded of, standing in the tiny living room of the apartment. Michael blinked in surprise as he caught sight of his father setting something on the counter by the sink.

The wooden knife block was a wordless acknowledgment of how far he had come, and one that had his chest tightening with bitten back tears.

Hugging everyone goodbye was harder than Michael thought it would be- it cemented the feeling of _'adulthood'_ , of a big change in his life. Especially when the door was locked behind them and he turned to an equally lost-looking Jason. 

That night, they made dinner together for the first time. The kitchen was an absolute mess by the time they were done with chicken and potatoes, grinning as they ate standing at the counter by the stove.

Technically speaking, Jason had his own room- mostly just meaning he didn't need to wait for Michael to get out of the shower to take his own- with all his belongings stored inside. This didn't mean that he was always in it though, as the two kept alternating whose bed was slept in that night. 

The first week went as usual- chaste kisses and gentle touches until the cover of night, when the bedroom door was locked for the safety of deeper kisses and wandering hands. 

Michael felt silly when he realized they didn't  _have_ to hide anymore. 

After picking up his textbooks from the bookstore, Michael set his bag down on the spare table and cornered Jason on the couch. It was _exciting_ to be outright ravished in the middle of the day, hidden by blinds and solitude alone. Jason's lips and teeth somehow felt even better on his skin when he didn't  _have_ to quiet his panting, his whistling whimpers, the muffled  _thumps_ of hands and feet scrabbling against the floor and the couch. He couldn't help but laugh when they had finished, suddenly finding themselves with an increase in laundry. 

It took Michael another three days to be hired at the local Mechanic's, mostly thanks to the gleaming reference he had gotten from his former boss. 

Michael's good news was shared when Jason was found in the kitchen upon returning from the interview, cutting up carrots for dinner. 

Michael savored the way Jason's hips felt under his palms as his lips made their way up Jason's throat. The stray strands that escaped his short ponytail tickled the pale skin that they touched, making Jason shiver as the feeling combined with hot breath on his throat. A split second decision had Jason packing the cut carrots into Tupperware, putting them in the fridge before taking Michael by the hand. 

The shared glance was almost as thick as the air when Michael habitually locked the bedroom door. 

The two couldn't seem to move after that, stuck in the moment of silence. The natural dust was slightly visible, shimmering in the orange glow of a setting sun that slipped between the slats of closed blinds, dyed amber by the curtains that were drawn. Michael's hair reflected the light well, especially when Jason's trembling hands reached upwards to tug on the ribbon that held it up and allowed it to fall around his throat. Jason's eyes wandered when Michael's hair settled, taking in the sight with a committed stare. 

Michael was taken back to the night in Jason's room when Jason's eyes caught a certain slant of light  _just right._

This time, there was no noise to break their focus. Only lips meeting for what felt like the first time, guided together by thin hands cupping a slightly scruffy jaw. Michael's unbuttoned overshirt was the first victim to wandering hands, and neither mourned it's loss when it landed somewhere on the floor. By the time bare skin met, both had trembling hands and desperate tongues. 

Jason wound up clinging to Michael's shoulders when Michael kissed him to distract him from any pain, trembling from the strangely new feeling he was experiencing. It only took a brief pause for his grip to mirror Michael's, alternating between the soft blonde locks and the sheets he was laid out upon. The first end took him by surprise, leaving him gasping as he held Michael close. 

Thankfully, it was not the only one he was graced with that night. By the time they were exhausted and giddy, Jason felt as if his heart might burst from his chest. Judging from the dopey smile on Michael's face, he assumed he wasn't alone in that feeling. 


	7. The Most Beautiful Sounds

As a nineteen-year-old freshman, Michael was intimidated by the size of the campus. It wasn't as big as some colleges he had seen. He was fairly certain he knew a community college was larger than EIU's campus- but the separation of buildings gave him a far more professional feel. It took him no time at all to decide on an Engineering major. As per the recommendation of his advisor, his minor was under a completely different subject- Psychology. 

He had thought it was strange to have a different subject as a minor, but the encouragements to learn as much as possible in his time at EIU was a temptation similar to a bone before a dog. It was his own decision to choose Psychology though, mostly due to his own situation and a pure curiosity in what was going on in his mind. 

Trying his best to stay quiet as he slipped inside his first class- a psych class, something about personality? He wasn't entirely certain without referring to his syllabus- but all eyes were drawn to his admittedly tall frame as soon as he opened the classroom door. 

The teacher looked him up and down with raised brows and surprised eyes but quickly composed himself with a nod. Michael braced himself for the 'Michael Myers, I assume?'- but it never came. 

Michael nodded with a soft smile as he took a desk near the front, but on the very side of the class. These seats had always been best, as he could still see the board clearly, but he could slouch to the unoccupied side to allow others behind him to see as well. 

By the end of the period, he was certain he had made the right choice in terms of sub-degrees.

Engineering, he found painfully dull. The teacher was so old and boring he barely looked up from the book. Even Michael- who had been so excited for this class- had issues keeping his attention on the teacher. 

By midterms, Michael was beginning to doubt his major. 

Jason was still overjoyed to hear about his classes each day, smiling more and more as Michael became prone to rambling about anything he had learned in his Psychology classes. He never mentioned the dwindling stories of Engineering class. 

These moments of rather adorable excitement were usually ended by lips moving toward Michael's own and hands pulling him toward the bedroom door. 

It took less than half the semester to create a solid schedule.

Michael usually woke first. Depending on how much time he had, he either laid in bed to watch Jason rest or got up to make them both breakfast. On the rarest of days, he was able to do _both._ On the  _best_ days, he got to pin Jason to the sheets and make a mess of themselves before getting up to shower and cook. On the worst days, he overslept and had to rush out the door with only a sleepy kiss that tempted him to skip his first class.

After classes- and lunch, which he either bought from the student union or was packed the night before by Jason (always including a rather sappy love note that made Michael grin like a fool)- he either went to work or went home. 

Work was usually uneventful, as this garage was far less friendly than  _his_ garage back in Haddonfield. He just dedicated himself to getting his work done and getting home to Jason. 

Stepping through his front door was easily Michael's favorite part of the day. Whether he was excitedly setting down schoolbooks with a funny story from class on his hands or covered in oil and absolutely exhausted, Jason's mask always slid off before his arms slid around Michael's neck. Depending on if he could stand how dirty work had made him, Michael sometimes lingered to kiss up and down Jason's throat with hands that admired Jason's waist and rear. 

As difficult as it was, he only caved and drug Jason to the shower with him on occasion. 

Making dinner was his second favorite part of any evening, as Michael and Jason never managed to keep a clean kitchen while cooking. Only half the time they managed to keep themselves clean as well. No matter how clean they were after eating, they usually wound up stumbling to the bedroom with shortness of breath and increasingly desperate hands- unless they had allowed themselves a rather long shower to free themselves of pasta sauce or whatever had splashed onto them during cooking. 

After eventually dragging themselves from the bed, it was time for any homework or cuddling on the couch if there was none to do. The night ended with a call to both their parents and a makeout on the couch before crawling into whichever bed they pleased. 

The weirdest days were when Michael was tired and stressed upon arriving home. Those were the days he was enthusiastically greeted at the door and kissed until he was prone on the couch, watching as Jason cracked open the cookbook brimming with recipes from his dearest mother. Anytime Michael rose to help, he was quickly ushered back to the couch until the food was steaming and ready to be served. The delicious food never failed to raise Michael's spirits. 

Naturally, when Michael came home to an upset Jason one Friday night, Michael was obviously concerned. 

While the cause was just homesickness- he had called his mother earlier just to pass the time, but hearing her voice... hearing how she had taken to working more, just to be near people- it had put him in a strange depressive headspace that he was unfamiliar with. 

Dropping his books and rolling up his sleeves, Michael pulled Jason close. By the time Jason's back hit the couch, Jason was laughing so hard Michael couldn't even kiss him the way that Jason had done every time _he_ was upset. Instead, he tangled his fingers in Jason's hair and laughed alongside him- knowing Jason didn't mind the glorified catch of breath that only ever escaped his throat. 

When Jason was grinning and relaxed against the cushion, Michael rose and pulled his hair back. Jason remained on his back, grinning like a fool while he watched the way Michael's muscles twitched under his shirt as he twirled the elastic around his shoulder-length hair. When Michael flicked his newly tied ponytail to the side- as he always did, and as Cynthia had done every time she had pulled his hair up for him- Jason readjusted on the couch to watch Michael cook. With the chicken pulled from the fridge, Jason felt his heart stop when Michael pulled the chef's knife from the block. 

It was such a simple image in his mind. Michael glowing in the artificial light of the kitchen, his eyes on the blade as he inspected the edge. Such a large blade seemed fitting in Michael's hand. 

He didn't miss how Michael's eyes lingered on it as the smile on his face began to droop. 

It took a good ten seconds to realize that this was the first time Michael had touched a large knife since stabbing the boy at camp. 

It was another five before Jason put his feet on the floor, moving toward his lover. Blue eyes snapped up with dangerous intent, but by the time Jason caressed his cheeks, Michael was leaning in for a kiss. He saw a glimmer of silver as Michael shifted the knife in his grip, ensuring that Jason wouldn't be stabbed when that same arm slipped around his waist. 

With cold metal pressing against his spine and a bolt of strangely hot adrenaline burning in his chest, it seemed far too easy to allow Michael to lead him back toward the wall. To be pinned to the wall, shuddering as the knife was forcibly stuck into the drywall beside his head. Michael's beath was hot in Jason's face as he smirked, tilting his head ever so slowly. Jason had to bite his lip to keep his giggles down, moving his hands to rest against Michael's chest. 

_You're pretty hot like that. Right out of a slasher film, was it?_

Michael laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement before he tilted his head down to steal a kiss. 

A shudder went down Jason's back when the blade was pulled from the wall in one fluid movement, reflecting a slant of light to highlight the blue of Michael's eyes. 

Jason slid to the floor with his back against the wall, putting his hands in his lap to hide the growing tent in his sweatpants.

Michael grinned knowingly as he turned to clean the knife in the sink. Jason was honestly mesmerized by watching the taller's delicate knife work, each measured chop cutting the chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes to be fried with butter and potatoes. 

Even with the absence of practice, his cuts were pristine and far better than Jason's- even when he tried his hardest. 

Unable to resist, Jason stood and moved behind Michael. The only acknowledgment of his movement was a rather sultry look over one shoulder as Jason wrapped his arms around Michael's waist, breathing a sigh against Michael's throat. He buried his grin in Michael's neck when his head tilted, exposing pale skin for him and him alone. By the time everything was diced up and scraped into the skillet, Jason was eager to lead Michael back to the couch. 

It was a rare moment when Jason decided to take the lead- to sit on Michael's stomach and kiss him, allowing hands and lips to roam at their own desire. The sheer level of sexual frustration that hung in the air when Michael stood to turn the chicken was _almost_ tangible. In an amusing display of defiance, Michael didn't return to the couch after ensuring the food didn't burn. 

Instead, he chose to wash the prep-work dishes, pointedly ignoring the way Jason's eyes remained locked on his back. He knew he couldn't turn, as the amused grin would betray him in an instant and give his lover all the reason in the world to allow dinner to charr. Instead, he kept his attention forward until dinner was plated. 

Michael was convinced it was the slowest dinner they had ever eaten as a couple. To be even more of a little tease, Michael hadn't sat beside him- he sat on the adjacent couch. His plate was balanced on the flat arm of the loveseat, his legs curled up beside him similarly to how Cynthia would sit when she was in a skirt. 

Michael made sure not to look away from Jason for the entirety of dinner, far too amused by watching Jason battle between the growing tent in his pants and the 'finish your plate!' his mother had instilled in him from a young age. 

When they were done, Michael slid from his seat. He could  _feel_ Jason's pulse skyrocketing from where he stood. He could hear the way Jason's breath hitched when his lips got  _oh so close to his own_ -

Michael had to do his damnedest not to laugh when he took Jason's plate to the sink. He knew his shoulders were shaking when Jason fell back onto the couch with a whine, immediately followed by a hoarse croak of  _"You tease!"._

With dishes washed, dried, and put away, Michael turned back around to face his lover. 

Jason was now leaning against the back of the couch, his head resting in the nest his arms had created on the back cushion. His legs were drawn up on the seat, his knees toward his chest in a poor attempt to mask his obviously ragged breath. 

Michael made sure each of his steps were equal as he approached his lover. Jason's eyes watched his fingertips as they trailed over the back of the couch, his eyes slowly working their way up to Michael's knowing grin. 

_Feeling a little... **bothered** love?_

Jason huffed, but wasn't able to respond before Michael claimed a kiss over the cushion. 

Somehow, he tasted better with dinner and desperation on his tongue. 

The look in Jason's eyes when they parted had Michael's stomach tightening.

Using his nails to scratch just under Jason's jaw, Michael made his way around the couch to take a wider hand in his own. He didn't even need to pull for Jason to rise and stalk toward him, focusing on him as if he were a target at the archery range. Short nails returned to Jason's jaw as they crossed the threshold to Michael's room, lips _millimeters_ away when that damn phone began to ring. 

Jason didn't have time to turn his head toward the phone before Michael's foot closed the bedroom door. A small smirk was the only convincing he needed to allow the call to go to voicemail, but the breath that washed over his lips was a rather nice incentive as well. 

It was weird not kissing Michael when he stood this close, but Jason didn't dare move. Any movement might disturb the strange silence between them, made heavy by longer fingers purposefully unbuttoning his shirt and blue eyes flickering up to meet his own. 

Jason had never felt pinned by a gaze alone- he had felt frightened and unwilling to move, but _never_ out of his own control. It was a sensation that was mildly disturbing, but easily dismissed as those same hands that had undone his shirt slid over his shoulders, coaxing the lifeless cloth to the floor. 

Blue eyes broke contact again as their gaze slid downwards to admire what Michael had touched hundreds of times over. Those arms remained looped around his neck, stretching out behind Jason as Michael stepped even closer. The move made it impossible for Michael to look anywhere but Jason's eyes. 

Jason knew he was holding his breath. He couldn't bear to break the silence, not with what felt like an eternity between them. The grin that developed on Michael's face preceded a huff of laughter. After a brief staring contest, the arms around his neck shifted to allow hands to caress Jason's throat and jaw before trailing down to cover Jason's hands. The half-second to guide them to Michael's waist was the knife that cut the tension, and the feeling of Michael's tank-top under his palms was the morsel that tempted Jason into the realm of _more_.  

The blue cloth was pulled over Michael's head just before lips met with Jason's hungry groan, encouraged by Michael's right hand caressing his jaw and the left leading Jason's own to the belt in Michael's jeans.  

The world seemed to rush around them, punctuated only by the sound of clothes hitting the floor and panting that complimented the gaps between the union of teeth and tongue. When Michael's head finally met the pillow, and Jason broke the kiss to simply look at him. Michael was as beautiful as ever, especially with that golden halo finally growing back out to a length Jason could play with whenever they lounged in the tiny bathtub, or were parked in a drive-in a few towns away. 

The strands framed the oceanic blue as gorgeously as they always had, counterbalancing the intensity of the stare with something dangerously angelic- something Jason was always eager to taste and touch to his heart's content. 

Michael was more than willing to allow it this time, remaining on his back instead of flipping them as they always had at this point. 

It only took a brief hesitation before Jason understood why Michael wasn't taking control, but found the change in leadership rather refreshing as he settled between Michael's legs. Jason did his best to prepare his lover for what was to come- as Michael had done so many times for him- but still proceeded slowly. He made _certain_ that Michael was ready before he took each step, peppering the pale face with kisses whenever it looked like it was beginning to become too much.

His right hand was quickly claimed by Michael, as the thinner hand had tangled with it when Jason had lifted the scarred skin to kiss Michael's knuckles. Now, the tangled mass of fingers rested beside Michael's head, and the free ones roamed and clung at their whim. 

By the time Michael's body locked up in pleasure, Jason was completely covering his body with his own with his unsupporting arm around Michael's waist and a whimper on his lips. He found himself eternally grateful that he was so close at that moment.

If he hadn't been chest-to-chest, he wouldn't have heard the quietest of moans slip free from Michael's lips under the peak of his pleasure.

It was the softest of noises, melodically smooth and resting on the higher end of a bass. Even with his own orgasm so close, Jason froze rigid at the sound. His body wouldn't respond to the loop his mind was been thrown through- the syllables might have been broken from vocal disuse, but Jason  _knew_ in his heart he had heard an incomplete 'juh', accompanied by a heartbeat of a pause and a drawn-out 'nnn'.

When Michael's head flopped to the side, Jason was balancing on his palms and blatantly ignoring the throbbing between his thighs. Jason waited until the sense returned to Michael's eyes before bending down to claim the softest kiss they had shared in quite some time. The confusion was obvious, but Jason untangled their hands to run it through Michael's hair. "You jus'  _moaned_ my _name_."

One blink. 

Two blinks.

The cutest head tilt Jason had ever seen.

Then Realization. 

Michael's loose hand came to his own throat as blue eyes widened, absently stroking before reaching to caress Jason's cheek with his thumb. To Jason's own surprise, the finger came away wet. 

_"You sound beautiful."_

Lips re-joined once more, staying within touching distance to catch any more possible sounds as they found as many peaks of pleasure they could before they both passed out.


	8. The Little Things, and The Big Things in Life

Overall, the total of the five years he was at University served Michael well. 

He 'just so happened' to find an 'open invitation' to Sally and Phillip's wedding after one of his appointments, eagerly attending with Jason to wish the couple a happy life. 

She 'just so happened' to find the announcement for the graduating class of 1981when it had 'fallen out of his pocket' when he was leaving one of his sessions a few months later. Sally and Phillip both attended his graduation, seated beside their families and cheering when Michael finally got his diploma. Sally and Judith both mourned the inability to become close friends, as the eldest Myers was so very similar to Sally herself.

The evening was still one that they all knew would remain in a special place in both their hearts and memories- especially as the next chapter in their lives began.

Michael had saved enough to move out with Jason by the time the summer came around, signaling the end of their lease. For Michael and Jason, choosing where they would settle was common sense for both- Jason's mother's health had begun to decline with her age. However, this did not stop the two from leaving their belongings half packed as they spent their summer at Camp Crystal Lake, which was now only forty-five minutes away.

The summer at the lake  _was_ their favorite part of each year after all, and watching Cynthia and Bubba become closer as the younger multiplied in size as the years passed.

He had pouted when Cynthia became a counselor as well, thinking she would no longer be able to play with him. It had taken Michael the  _entire_  summer of '79 to convince him that she wouldn't just disappear on him- after all,  _he and Jason_  were counselors too!  _They_  still played with him!

In the end, Bubba simply had to see it himself, with her dedication to remaining beside him reflecting as clearly as Crystal Lake itself.

Arriving at camp  _this_  year treated them both to a grand surprise. Bubba- finally 16- had finally hit a breathtaking growth spurt, now towering over the youngest Myers sibling. Cynthia had just giggled, calling the towering trio her 'three heightskateers'.

Michael would roll his eyes every time the nickname was mentioned over the summer, informing her how utterly  _lame_  that was before pointing out that  _she_  was rather tall as well.

His favorite response to his criticism was the time she had flipped him off, earning a gasp from Bubba- who had seen the offensive gesture and immediately  _covered Cynthia's hand._ Michael had laughed the entire time she pulled Bubba toward the '16+ Meeting'. 

He had come back with a piece of paper clutched against his chest.

Jason helped him fill out the application. 

This was also the summer that Cynthia informed Michael of her acceptance into the college in New York she had been trying to get into since early high school. They celebrated with s'mores, and Cynthia- being the trouble starter she was- decided to start a food fight... By stuffing a s'more into the side of Bubba's cheek. With those same cheeks a dark red, he returned the favor. They were an utter  _mess_  by the time they were done, but Jason and Michael had shared a glance and continued to eat  _their_  s'mores in peace, having been forgotten by the more rambunctious pair. 

That night, Jason went for a walk with his mother as Michael talked over moving plans with Cynthia. She would be moving just after summer, and Michael immediately offered up his car to help cut expenses. Cynthia accepted giddily, excited for a road trip with her big brother. 

Bubba was quiet with his offer, but-  _if_  his mom said it was alright for him to stay longer- he would help her move as well. 

With excitement in their eyes, he and Cynthia immediately went to Evan's office to borrow the phone and to receive a  _very_  hesitant yes. 

Jason had returned from his walk looking very shy, and Michael was at his side in a moment.

His mother had asked him to join her on a cruise- a ship named the SS Lazarus would be launching from  _this very lake_  when the water was deep enough to reach the river. It would travel all the way to New York City at the end of the summer. Michael was already grinning as he told Jason of Cynthia's moving plans- she was set to finish moving three days after their cruise would end. 

Cynthia  _immediately_  offered them her apartment for the three days- she would get the keys a week before after all, she just had to get everything  _up_  there- and chased Jason back to his mother with the offer of an extended vacation. Pamela had happily accepted- she would do her part by beginning to unpack some of the more mundane things for Cynthia. After all, a kitchen had a surprising number of boxes!

Less than three months later, Michael and Jason parted ways for the first time in  _years_.

Michael saw him off on his cruise, tracing over the bracelets they had pulled from storage as a memento of the other during their separation.

Pamela had smiled at Michael so warmly, squeezing his arm to prompt a hug of her own before leading a rather hesitant Jason aboard the ship. 

Michael and Jason held each other's gaze as the ship faded over the horizon, and both knew in their hearts that the other remained for a good chunk of time after they had finally lost sight of the other. 

Michael finally turned on his heel as the last of the crowd dispersed around him, rejoining Cynthia and Bubba at the car and disappearing back to the tiny town of Haddonfield.

If he was going to be honest, he couldn't even remember if they were there to see Jason off. He had been too absorbed with his lover's fading form to pay any attention to the younger pair.

Haddonfield's drive seemed so much longer without Jason's thumb rubbing over the back of his hand.

But the house he grew up in looked the same as it always had. A picture from the past, as tranquil as a Halloween's night air.

Stepping out of the car for the first time in five years was a prompt reminder that reality was nothing like college was- he had forgotten  _just how much_  this little town was stuck in its ways. 

How the picture in his mind edited out all the mothers that lead their children away from him, people outright refused to speak to him. 

His old boss was a true ray of sunshine to visit, as he was utterly  _overjoyed_  to see Michael. The recent graduate had wasted an entire day roving around the garage, unintentionally scaring some of the newer mechanics with how quiet he was- the amused laughter of his first employer had a grin on his own face.

To his delight, he got to repair the gasket on a 1946 half-ton Chevy Pickup, as the younger mechanic had no idea how to do it properly. 

When he returned home, he ate chicken and dumplings with his family- with Bubba happily perched beside Cynthia, still beaming from spending the whole day with her and seeing a new state for the first time.

It was admittedly strange, sitting at the table of his childhood with his sisters and his parents, listening to Cynthia's explanation of her college. Listening to Judith, talking about how she and her husband have decided to try for a child- how that had excited Michael, he would be an uncle at some point!

It was certainly strange just after, when he was talking about his new house and his life with Jason. Judith and Cynthia didn't seem to mind, drilling him with questions and wide smiles. 

Cynthia was the one who giggled with a mouthful of dumplings, wiggling happily in her chair due to the familiar taste and the delight of good food. After swallowing her bite, her smile only grew. "Sooo~ Have you proposed yet?" 

Bubba froze. Michael scoffed. 

_It's not legal for me to marry Jason._

Judith paused in her chewing, but nodded as she smiled. "So, you  _would_  marry him though?"

Deborah immediately chastised Judith for speaking through a mouthful of food, but Michael could tell it was a reflex and not an attempt to silence. 

He simply nodded his answer to her question. 

Bubba looked surprised.

The entire table forgot to eat for a moment- save for Michael- but his cheeks darkened as the smiles grew. Dinner was finished in relative silence, with the knowing grins never leaving the faces of those sitting around the table.

Save for Bubba, who couldn't contain his little squeal of happiness- which was promptly covered with a bite of a biscuit.  

* * *

Jason  _missed_  Michael. 

His blonde boyfriend's loving gaze had made him forget just how  _harsh_  people would be against his distorted face, how cruel they would be in the face of his mild demeanor. 

He missed the hands trailing through his hair, the lips that would meet his cheek whenever- well, whenever the _wind would change,_  really... Michael never really withheld his affection, even if he was the more serious of the two.

Now, don't think for a single moment that he wasn't enjoying his Mother's company- he  _adored_  spending time with his mom, especially after not seeing her outside of the summer for many years. They spent much of the cruise on the balcony of their room, simply talking and watching the waves roll by.

Talking about Pamela's job, her upkeep of the house, her downsizing her antique's collection- there were simply too many to dust! - and if Jason would want any of them. They talked about Jason's desire for a job, his hesitancy to apply due to his disability, his new encounters with cooking for Michael. 

As soon as the topic switched to his lover, Jason lit up. 

He didn't even have to speak his thoughts for Pamela to begin to smile. 

They were quick to agree on what the extra days in New York would be spent doing. After all, with Michael's surprisingly large income as a mechanic- and all the hours he willingly picked up to ensure they had enough to have a house of their own- Jason was able to save quite the pretty penny himself. There would be a rather nice shopping trip in store when they hit the shore.

New York was  _Amazing_. There were so many lights! So many people! 

As someone who was admittedly sheltered, Jason was awestruck. He  _knew_  he and Michael would have to spend a night on the town together. 

He froze mid-step, the wheels turning in his head as his eyes locked on a magnificent sign. 

Pamela just gave him a polite smile, but tilted her head to show her confusion until her eyes followed his. Jason took her hand and lead her into the shop, utterly  _beaming_.

He knew what he wanted to buy.

The older man behind the counter seemed disgusted that he wanted matching rings- plain and metal, nothing special- but the young lady with poorly-covered tattoos was more than happy to step over and help in his stead. The silver bands were surprisingly inexpensive, and getting a small engraving of the date they truly 'met'- 6/13/1958- added only a small portion to the cost. 

Jason was nervous, right up until the young lady wrote on his copy of the receipt. 

_Don't be scared, my girlfriend loved her ring too- even if it can't mean anything..._ **_yet._ **

Jason tore that little piece off, tucking it into the folds of his wallet with a grateful smile. 

She giggled as she carefully set the pair of silver rings into the box, placing it into his hand and curling his fingers over the box with a wide smile. 

Pamela simply rubbed Jason's back as they retreated to Cynthia's apartment to unpack more of  _her_  boxes.  

 _His_  box was hidden in the innermost pocket of his thick brown coat.

Michael found himself anxious with the last load finally packed into his car. He would see Jason tonight- nearly a week apart and countless miles driven left the Haddonfield native craving Boyfriend's arms around him, or simply seeing the smile of his lover with his own eyes. 

 _Anything_ at this point.

Cynthia teased him  _ruthlessly_ the entirety of the drive, if they weren't singing along to Queen or ACDC's biggest albums yet. 

Bubba spent much of the drive asking Cynthia questions about the various bands she played, about the college she would attend, about New York, where she would go after school- 

Michael was truly struggling to hold back his grin. Jason would be over the moon to hear about how utterly lovestruck Bubba had become for Cynthia. 

Michael was betting less than five years till they were engaged.

...

God, he had less than one hundred miles left till he saw Jason again. 

The anticipation was what forced him out the car ahead of the younger pair when they finally pulled up to the tiny apartment. 

Jason met him at the door, and Cynthia rolled her eyes she, Pamela, and Bubba went out to help her get some of the smaller bags. 

Michael and Jason took a long moment to simply bask in the other's presence, foreheads together as Jason's arms slid around Michael's waist and Michael's hands slid through Jason's hair. 

"Missed you."

Michael's nod held just as much emotion as Jason's voice, but the smile that captivated both was what truly prompted the gentle kiss that graced the pair's lips. 

It seemed to be a struggle for Michael to move his hands from where they cradled Jason's head.  

_Did you enjoy the cruise?_

"Yeah, I spent lots of it just talkin' to mom. It was nice to see her again for more than ten minutes 'r so. How's your family?" 

_Judith's going to try for a baby!_

Jason grinned as Michael lit up. The entirety of carrying in Cynthia's things was spent gushing about baby preparations for his incoming niece or nephew. 

Michael was hoping for a niece- Myers' women were always stunningly strong and beautiful.

Jason hoped for a nephew- There were too many girls in the family!

The bickering continued as they unpacked everything for Cynthia, with Cynthia wanting a nephew to raise, and Pamela wanting to see a niece. 

They accepted the divide as they went to dinner. A nice little burger joint served them well- Cynthia adores the little old owner, who didn't even flinch as she served Jason a slice of Strawberry and Rhubarb pie. Michael stuck with apple, casting judgmental stares at the 'abomination' on Jason's palate. 

Bubba laughed when Jason held out his fork, prompting Michael to sigh and try a bite.

Maybe it wasn't  _too_ terrible...

The laughter continued to the nearest grocery store to stock up the fridge and pantry, which had Cynthia overjoyed that the little shop had a butchery in the back- fresh, good meat! A little pricier, but well worth the upcharge!

That night, Cynthia got a welcoming call from Evan- he had laughed as she expressed her confusion, before her eyes darted to a mischievous Pamela.

They went to bed curled up in a giant snuggle pile on the floor.

The next day, they dropped Bubba off at the airport. Cynthia's address was tucked safely into his wallet, earning a knowing smile from the two pen-pals turned lovers. 

Pamela decided to spend the day showing Cynthia how to make long-lasting treats, leaving the two boys to explore the city and enjoy some quality time together. 

Jason's favorite part was when he convinced Michael to cram into a photo booth with him. He couldn't decide if he wanted to hide the pictures away in his wallet to protect them, or clutch them to his chest and never look away from their own smiling faces. 

Michael's favorite part was when they sat in the grass of the local park, watching the birds as they ate the hot dogs they had purchased from a street vendor. Jason had tried his best to get a bird to come up to him, but only really succeeded in forfeiting half his bun to the hungry swarm. 

The photographer that had come up to them handed them a polaroid of Michael's soft smile and Jason's overjoyed grin, all because of the one Pigeon that had perched on his knee. 

Michael had given him a twenty in return, even though the young man insisted it was of no charge. 

The car was loaded the next morning, and Pamela was dropped off at her home a few hours later.  

When they crossed the threshold to their new home, they had a voicemail blinking on the machine- Three days old. 

Michael would be the Uncle of a handsome baby Nephew. The middle Myers child was estatic, and Jason considered recording the mute's exciting pacing and wild gestures that came between bouts of silent laughter that was covered by thin hands over a pale mouth.

* * *

 

With Evan's blessing obtained by Jason over the phone, the two drove the extra hour the next week to stop by their beloved camp. To 'Check the trails before winter.'

It was strange to see it without children running about, but the bite of cold in the darkening skies was enough of a warning of the incoming coldfront. 

Jason knew he was lovestruck as he stood behind Michael after a few hours of upkeep. 

His lover stood on their docks at the far end of the lake, admiring the moon that was rising just above the tree line above the camp to help the stars to brighten the dark sky.

Jason knew his heart was skipping beats in time with his boots echoing his steps across the wood. 

His hands shook as he gripped the small box in his hand as hard as he could, dropping to one knee as soon as those eyes that matched the moon behind them settled on the brown that matched the forest floor. 

Michael's smile was as breathtaking as the gust of wind that cut through them both, but no campfire would ever warm him the way that the kiss they shared did. 

Jason's voice cracked as he finally managed to speak through his nerves. "Some day... marry me."

Michael nodded as the ring on his finger- a perfect fit- reflected the light that shone behind him. Jason could see the way his lover mouthed 'yes', before blue eyes closed as he looked almost pained.

The quiet 'Y-EE-SS' was almost swallowed by the wind, but was instead lost between a pair of lips, dampened cheeks, and quiet, breathless laughter. 

Crystal Lake's ever-calm surface finally broke into ripples, quietly clapping along the shores with the assistance of an unnoticed breeze as-

 _For the first time_ -

Pure, undisturbed silence engulfed the engaged pair on the docks. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final chap! I really wanted to end it with the mental image i've had this entire time- Jason and Michael during the dead of night, overlooking the lake that intertwined their fates as they bound their lives together.  
> TBH I originally thought of a wedding scene, but I wanted to keep this story honest- while im certain that there were LGBT weddings in the 70s, I dont think they were common.  
> Besides, our boys dont need a fancy piece of paper to say that they love each other. the lake already knows that.  
> Thank you for reading this, have a wonderful day! <3
> 
> (And incase it isnt glaringly obvious- Bubba and Cynthia get together in this after the story ends. I would say around mid twenties.)


End file.
